Woman carrying laundry in front of MTN logo, highlighting Africa’s telecom industry and infrastructure development.
MTN has announced plans to acquire IHS Towers for $2.7 billion, marking a sharp turnaround from its earlier push to exit tower ownership across Africa. IHS, which operates thousands of telecom towers in markets including Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and Colombia, was originally founded in Lagos and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. The company even bought nearly 6,000 South African towers from MTN in 2022 as part of that divestment strategy. Now, MTN appears to be rethinking infrastructure control as digital demand accelerates across the continent. While the bid remains non-binding for now, it signals how critical tower assets have become to expanding mobile services and Africa’s booming digital finance ecosystem.
Semafor