25,000 towers are already owned, or managed and marketed, by Africa’s independent towercos, representing 17% of the Africa’s estimated 150,000 towers. There are currently 38,500 towers for sale in Africa, with a major deal involving Airtel’s 15,000 African towers expected imminently. By the end of the year, Africa’s independent towercos will own more towers than MTN – TowerXchange forecast that towercos will own 38.8% of Africa’s towers at the end of 2014.
The African independent tower market is led, and will continue to be led, by the ‘Big Four’ African towercos; IHS (10,500 towers), American Tower (5,099 towers in Africa), Helios Towers Africa (4,851) and Eaton Towers (2,500), supplemented by a couple of significant West African regional towercos, Helios Towers Nigeria (1,300) and SWAP Telecoms & Technologies (1,459).
