Guests including First Ladies, ministers, diplomats, investors and creatives gathered in New York City for the premier Africa-focused social and cultural event of UNGA season.
On the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Africell hosted more than 150 guests at Lavan Chelsea for an evening that has quickly become the defining Africa-focused social and cultural gathering of annual UNGA week.
Guests included the First Ladies of Sierra Leone and The Gambia, as well as senior ministers, US officials, diplomats, investors, journalists and creatives from across Africa and its diaspora.
The evening gave guests a first look at Africell’s development pipeline of products and services, each built for Africa’s digital generation. These included Wazzam, a new digital wallet; Roamz, an eSIM service; and Wazaa, a gaming platform customised for African users.
Guests also heard about special projects from Africell and the Africell Impact Foundation. These included ‘Coordinates Angola’, a content series produced in partnership with Sir Idris Elba’s record label, Sound International and with the support of Visit Angola, the country’s tourism promotion agency.
“UNGA brings together the people shaping Africa’s future, and we want to give them a reason to see the continent differently,” said Ziad Dalloul, Africell’s CEO, president and founder.
“Wazzam, Roamz and Wazaa are built for a young, digital-first Africa, and our work with NBA Africa, Sound International and other partners shows how technology, sport and culture can open new opportunities. As the only American-owned telecoms operator in Africa, we’re proud to bring that energy to New York.”
The event continues Africell’s record of hosting original, genre-busting events during UNGA. Each year the General Assembly brings together an extraordinary concentration of decision-makers in one place for a limited time. Africell uses that moment to bring a freshness and energy that reflects its brand and culture, and which is often missing from the week’s more formal occasions. Previous UNGA events hosted by Africell have included:
- an immersive virtual experience produced by Africell and the National Museum of the DRC
- an exclusive screening of Lobito Bound, Africell’s award-winning documentary now streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV
- a gathering of key US investors and African officials focused on the Lobito Corridor region
As the only US-owned telecoms operator in Africa, Africell is uniquely placed to connect New York’s global stage with the markets it serves in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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