Africa’s multi-billion dollar wave of tower sales gains pace

TowerXchange is tracking almost 40,000 African towers at various stages of progression toward sale or outsourcing to independent towercos. With a pipeline of over US$3bn worth of assets coming to market, and with the independent tower model increasingly proven in Africa, a new class of investor that only wants to write substantial cheques is being attracted to the market.

This unprecedented wave of African tower opportunities is headlined by the sale of 15,000 towers across 15 countries by Airtel, with Reuters reporting the sale is most advanced in Nigeria, where TowerXchange sources also suggest MTN Nigeria’s coveted portfolio of over 10,000 towers may be back on the block.