In a modest office in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, telecom executive De Chan Awuol is accelerating a rollout that few thought possible. His company, Digitel, has begun deploying its own infrastructure and expanding mobile coverage in one of the world’s least connected countries. The startup, founded in 2021, is now registering faster subscriber growth than its multinational rivals, according to internal company data.
Digitel’s most visible leap came last year when it launched South Sudan’s first 5G trial, beating long-established players like MTN and Zain to market.
The pilot, conducted in partnership with Chinese vendor ZTE, clocked download speeds of 1.2 Gbps in Juba’s Hai Neem district.
Digitel believes that if there is a new technology out there that can help connect the people, it will try to bring that technology to South Sudan.
The company’s strategy hinges on local insight. Digitel offers phones with extended battery life to suit areas with limited electricity, and its data bundles are priced to match the spending power of a population where 85% remain offline. The firm is also working toward building its own towers and backhaul systems, aiming to reduce dependence on imported bandwidth and leased infrastructure.
South Sudan’s telecom market has long been dominated by MTN, which held over 60% of mobile subscriptions by the end of 2024. The South African operator added 1,556 4G sites across its African footprint last year, helping drive a 25% increase in mobile subscribers in South Sudan alone.
But Digitel’s entry has begun to shift the competitive landscape. While full market data remains scarce, Digitel insiders say the company is adding users at a faster clip than its rivals, particularly in underserved urban corridors.
The expansion comes amid severe economic headwinds. The civil war in neighbouring Sudan has disrupted oil exports, South Sudan’s primary source of foreign currency. Inflation has surged, and the South Sudanese pound has weakened sharply against the dollar, making it harder to import telecom equipment. Insecurity in several states has delayed tower construction and forced operators to reroute logistics.
Still, telecoms have proven resilient in conflict zones. “Telecom companies should be quite familiar with war,” Nzioka Waita, Africa director at the Tony Blair Institute told The Economist. He pointed to Somalia’s thriving mobile sector and Ethiopia’s state-owned Ethio Telecom, which posted record revenues despite ongoing unrest.
Digitel’s growth is concentrated in Juba, Wau, and Malakal, where mobile broadband penetration is highest. But the company is also testing renewable-powered towers to push coverage into rural counties, where infrastructure is sparse and electricity unreliable. The firm’s long-term goal is to blanket the country with basic voice and data services, eventually enabling mobile money and cloud-based enterprise tools.
The startup’s ambitions have drawn cautious optimism from analysts. “Digitel is one of the first serious homegrown attempts to expand digital access in South Sudan,” said Martin Macharia, a technology analyst based in Nairobi. “They’re trying to build a digital ecosystem.”
The company’s leadership team includes Paul Onek, chief technology officer, and Wilson Kyumba, chief operations officer, both of whom have backgrounds in regional telecom deployments. Their focus has been on operational efficiency and local hiring, with Digitel recruiting engineers and technicians from South Sudanese universities and vocational programs.
Government support has been limited but not absent. The Ministry of Information has praised Digitel’s 5G trial as a “gateway to unprecedented opportunities,” and the Universal Service and Access Fund has called for rural deployment beyond Juba. However, regulatory clarity remains a challenge, and tax exemptions granted to Digitel have sparked debate over market fairness and fiscal sustainability.
Digitel is betting that local engagement will give it an edge, since foreign firms don’t always understand the nuances of that complex market.
On the wall behind Awuol desk hang portraits of Che Guevara and Tupac Shakur the Economist reported—figures he says represent defiance and vision.
Whether Digitel can emulate their legacy in the telecom space remains to be seen. But in a country where connectivity is still a luxury, the startup’s rapid expansion is already reshaping expectations.
Second Eye Africa
