Helios Towers, the independent telecoms tower infrastructure company, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the business of SA Towers in South Africa.
It is the Group’s first investment in the country following the establishment of its partnership (HTSA) with Vulatel, announced on 14 January 2019.
SA Towers was launched in 2016 by local entrepreneurs Rico Marx and Harm Kelderman, backed by Africa Property Partners (APP), a real estate private investment business. SA Towers has built strong relationships with all the Operators in the South African market and established a team of professionals that worked diligently to build a pipeline of potential tower sites on more than 500 urban locations across the country, ready to be built or in the process of being permitted.
This investment will accelerate Helios Towers’ entry into South Africa. As part of the agreement, the Group will invest into the platform and provide management expertise to accelerate the conversion of the pipeline. SA Towers’ team will integrate into the Helios Towers organisation and manage the day-to-day South African tower operations, bringing to bear their significant knowledge of the market and local customer relationships. HTSA will fund and support the build out and expansion of the pipeline of permitted locations.
Kash Pandya, CEO, Helios Towers
We are thrilled to announce this acquisition of SA Towers’ business, which will be made via our new partnership with Vulatel. It is consistent with our strategy of entering new markets in sub-Saharan Africa to further expand our geographic footprint. This is an innovative way of entering a new market by partnering with local entrepreneurs to create significant value for all stakeholders.
Rico Marx, Co-founder and Director, SA Towers
Together with the MNOs, whose relationships with SA Towers we value highly, we have ambitious expansion plans in order to meet the burgeoning demand for high quality tower infrastructure by the MNOs fuelled by their desire to meet the needs of their customers.
