AfCFTA Adjustment Fund injects $10 million into Telecel Global Services
July 9th 2025
As digital connectivity lies at the heart of trade integration on the continent, the financing will be used to support Telecel’s expansion in Ghana and Liberia and strengthen its infrastructure.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Adjustment Fund has granted a $10 million loan to telecommunications infrastructure provider Telecel Global Services to strengthen digital connectivity and trade integration on the continent, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced in a statement on Monday, July 7.
This financing, in the form of a senior secured amortizing loan, constitutes the first transaction of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, whose mission is to support countries and private companies through financing and technical assistance in their transition to the new trade regime, and to mitigate any negative impacts that may arise during this process.
The fund, established by Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat, comprises three sub-funds: the Core Fund, the General Fund, and the Credit Fund. The Core Fund will use contributions from AfCFTA member states, as well as grants and technical assistance, to offset customs revenue losses resulting from the implementation of the continental free trade agreement. The General Fund will finance the development of trade-facilitating infrastructure, while the Credit Fund will leverage trade finance to help the public and private sectors capitalize on the opportunities created by the AfCFTA and adapt to the resulting changes.
Telecel Global Services, a subsidiary of the Mauritius-based Telecel Group, provides wholesale voice and SMS communication services as well as enterprise connectivity solutions to over 250 telecom operators, primarily in Africa.
With digital connectivity central to trade and economic integration and the success of the Free Trade Area, this loan will support Telecel’s expansion in Ghana and Liberia, strengthen its infrastructure, and help bridge Africa’s digital divide through increased digital connectivity and inclusion. This will help reduce trade barriers, boost cross-border productivity, and accelerate inclusive industrialization.
“This transaction demonstrates how the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund is beginning to achieve its initial objective of supporting States Parties and the private sector in our efforts to give this agreement a meaningful trade dimension ,” AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene said in the statement. He added: ” By investing in digital infrastructure, we are addressing some of the most critical factors for trade facilitation, industrialization and the development of regional value chains.”
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