MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications firm, has formally utilized to the Johannesburg Inventory Alternate (JSE) for approval to amass IHS Towers, the continent’s largest impartial proprietor and operator of shared communications infrastructure, in what may turn into one of the crucial important infrastructure offers in its historical past.
MTN is in superior talks to amass 75% of shares in IHS, which might make it the bulk shareholder of the tower firm, the telco stated in a letter to buyers on Thursday morning and seen by TechCabal.
“No ultimate settlement has been reached, and there’s no certainty of the transaction concluding,” MTN stated. “The transaction if concluded, might have a fabric impact on the value of the corporate’s securities. Accordingly, shareholders are suggested to train warning when dealing within the firm’s securities till additional announcement is made.”
IHS Towers, based in Nigeria in 2001, has grown from a homegrown startup into one of many world’s largest impartial tower firms, working roughly 40,000 towers throughout Africa, Latin America, and the Center East.
Listed on the New York Inventory Alternate, the corporate has seen a notable monetary rebound, with a market capitalisation of $2.76 billion. Its share value on Thursday, February 5, 2026, was at $8.23
The potential acquisition is strategically important for MTN. For years, MTN, like many operators, has relied on third-party tower firms resembling IHS to host its community gear. IHS’s core enterprise mannequin facilities on shared infrastructure, enabling operators to co-locate on towers beneath long-term lease agreements. This neutral-host mannequin has helped cut back capital expenditure for telecom operators throughout rising markets.
By shifting to purchase IHS Towers, MTN alerts a shift in technique: reclaiming direct management over vital community infrastructure. This might decrease long-term working prices, enhance service rollout effectivity, and strengthen MTN’s aggressive place throughout its markets. With Nigeria, IHS’s largest section, accounting for almost 59% of IHS’s Q3 2025 income, the acquisition would additionally consolidate MTN’s dominance in its most essential market.
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