MTN’s $2.2B IHS Towers acquisition consumes 60% of its fintech war chest. BETAR analyses the balance sheet impact, dividend risk, and what it means for MoMo’s…
MTN Spent Its War Chest on Towers. Now What?
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MTN
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MTN’s $2.2B IHS Towers Buyout: Africa’s Biggest Telecoms Infrastructure Play, Explained
MTN Group’s $2.2 billion acquisition of IHS Towers — one of Africa’s largest independent tower companies — reshapes 4G/5G rollout economics across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and beyond. Here is what the deal means, who wins, and who has cause for concern.
Africa’s AI Data Centre Race: MTN Lagos, Microsoft Kenya, and the Power Problem
Africa’s data centre market is projected to double to $4.36B by 2031. MTN’s $240M Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre in Lagos and Microsoft’s $1B geothermal-powered East Africa Cloud Region in Kenya represent the continent’s most ambitious physical AI infrastructure bets — and reveal how power, not capital, is the real constraint.
South Africa’s Competition Regulator Is in Private Talks to Loosen Telecom M&A Rules. MTN Has Telkom in Its Sights
South Africa’s Competition Commission is holding private talks with the telecoms industry about relaxing M&A rules to enable 5G and AI infrastructure investment at scale. MTN CEO Ralph Mupita is leading the push — and Telkom, Africa’s largest fibre operator, is back in the frame.
Africa’s Two Biggest Telcos Just Chose SpaceX: MTN Zambia First in Africa to Test Starlink Direct-to-Cell, Airtel Follows Across 14 Markets
MTN Zambia completed Africa’s first Starlink direct-to-cell field test on March 6 — transmitting a satellite data session and a MoMo fintech transaction using MTN’s own spectrum. Airtel Africa has now signed up 14 markets. The continent’s two largest operators chose integration over competition, and the implications for rural fintech access are significant.
Africa’s AI Data Centre Race: MTN’s $240M Lagos Bet, Microsoft’s Kenya Gamble, and the Energy Problem That Could Derail Both
MTN is spending $240 million on an AI-optimised data centre in Lagos. Microsoft and G42 have committed $1 billion to a geothermal-powered campus in Kenya. Google’s Johannesburg region is live and its Umoja subsea cable is coming. Africa’s data centre investment wave is real — but the continent still holds less than 1% of global compute capacity, and energy constraints may keep it that way.
Airtel Africa FY2025: The Telecoms Rival MTN Coverage Missed
Airtel Africa posted $4.955 billion in FY2025 revenue and swung to a $328 million profit. Its mobile money arm generates 21% of group revenue — five times MoMo’s share at MTN. Here’s why that gap matters.
MTN Group FY2025: West Africa Takes the Crown as Revenue Climbs 23%
MTN Group reports R218.5 billion in service revenue for 2025, up 23%. Nigeria overtakes South Africa as top revenue hub for the first time. West Africa ARPU and data penetration drive the shift.
MTN’s 30 Million Homes Bet: The Economics Behind Africa’s Biggest Fixed Broadband Push
MTN 30 million homes FWA strategy — fixed wireless access economics, market opportunity, and the capital allocation logic behind the commitment.
Ghana’s 5G Gamble Resets: NCA Strips NGIC Exclusivity, Opens Spectrum Auction
Ghana 5G spectrum auction 2026 — NCA strips NGIC exclusivity, competitive bidding opens, and what it means for MTN and Telecel.