At TowerXchange Meetup MENA decision makers from TASC Towers, TAWAL, Helios Towers, SBA Communications, e& and Citi discussed the evolution of tower M&A; the slowly shifting mindsets of MNOs and the question of how tomorrow’s MENA tower deals will be structured, as “schmuck equity” makes a comeback.
Towercos all expressed a position of readiness to strike at the next tower deal, with an emerging appetite for North Africa, although barriers to foreign investment remain. Adjacent services are also on the radar but dependent on regulation and what the customer ultimately wants, while public listings seem unlikely in the short term but inevitable in the long run.