(Ecofin Agency) - Afrione's mobile phone assembly plant, located in the Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone, has officially started operations. The infrastructure was inaugurated by the President of the Republic João Lourenço, on October 14, 2020, in the presence of Manuel Homem the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Social Communication.

Resulting from an equity investment of nearly $15 million and a $2 billion credit line from the United Arab Emirates, the plant, built on 1,140 square meters of land, is composed of three departments: offices, manufacturing, and storage. The factory will have a capacity of 100,000 devices per year. Over time, it is expected to diversify its production by including computers and several other types of digital devices. Initially, the plant is expected to create nearly 150 new jobs, especially for young people.

The company plans to build distribution centers for its devices in Cabinda, Uíge, Huambo, and Benguela. The price of low-end phones should vary between 3,000 and 4,000 kwanzas (about $5 and $6) while the price of the most advanced high-end phones could reach 200,000 kwanzas (about $300), according to verangola.net.