Unitel (Angola)
| Company type | Private (formerly joint-stock, now state-owned) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | March 8, 2001 |
| Headquarters | Luanda , Angola |
| Products | Mobile network services (GSM, UMTS), voice calls, SMS, MMS, mobile internet, prepaid and postpaid plans |
| Owner | Government of Angola (since 2022) |
Number of employees | 2000 |
| Website | www |
Unitel S.A. is a privately held mobile telecommunications company in Angola, founded on 8 March 2001 as a joint-stock entity. In 2022, the company transitioned to full state ownership through nationalisation.
Operations and location
Based in Luanda, Unitel employs approximately 2,000 staff members and has delivered network services to nearly all provincial municipalities since 2002. Its offerings are distributed via retail outlets, while prepaid recharge cards can be purchased from street vendors and through the Multicaixa ATM system. The company caters to roughly 9 million subscribers within a national population estimated between 18 and 20 million.
Network
Unitel's infrastructure comprises GSM and UMTS technologies, providing voice calls, SMS, MMS, and mobile internet under both prepaid and postpaid plans. By December 2011, the operator achieved comprehensive coverage across all Angolan municipalities by deploying a solar-powered transmission station in Rivungo, located in Kuando Kubango province.
Tariff
Pricing is denoted in UTT (Telecommunication Tariff Units), which are standardized throughout Angola's telecommunications industry. As of 2016, one UTT was equivalent to 10 Kwanzas. Recharge cards are offered in values ranging from 125 to 1250 UTT, corresponding to prices between 900 and 2700 Kwanzas. Postpaid services can be settled via bank transfers or direct debit arrangements. Unitel phone numbers utilize the prefixes 92, 93, and 94.
Ownership and nationalisation
Previously, Unitel’s ownership was split evenly among Oi, Helios (through Africatel), the state oil company Sonangol, and Angolan enterprises such as Geni Holding (via Mercury) and Vidatel, the latter controlled by Isabel dos Santos.
In October 2022, the nationalisation process was completed under President João Lourenço’s administration, effectively removing Isabel dos Santos from any association with the operator.