• Indus Towers to expand into Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, leveraging Airtel and cost-efficient tower solutions.

• Entry challenges IHS, Helios, and ATC, boosting competition and lowering operator leasing costs.

• Africa’s tower market to grow 4.63% CAGR by 2030, creating major opportunities for Indus.

Indus Towers Limited, India’s telecom tower infrastructure provider, a 50% subsidiary of Bharti Airtel announced on September 2 plans for a strategic expansion into select African markets, beginning with Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia. The move, approved by the board of directors, underscores the company’s ambition to diversify revenues, scale operations, and create long-term value in fast-growing telecom markets.

Prachur Sah, Managing Director & CEO of Indus Towers, said: “The Board’s approval to enter international markets in Africa unlocks our vision for long-term sustainable growth and value creation for our shareholders. By leveraging our expertise in delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions, we are well-positioned to differentiate ourselves in Africa’s fast-growing telecom market and emerge as the preferred tower company.”

The decision leverages Indus Towers’ anchor customer relationship with Bharti Airtel, which already has a strong footprint across Africa. The company plans to capitalize on its expertise in building and managing cost-efficient, sustainable tower infrastructure to support Africa’s surging demand for mobile connectivity and digital services.

The choice of Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia reflects their status as high-growth digital markets. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with over 220 million people, is experiencing rapid growth in mobile internet use, with penetration reaching 45.4% as of 2025, according to DataReportal. Uganda has also seen steady gains, with internet penetration at 28%(Datareportal). At the same time, Zambia’s telecom sector continues to expand as operators accelerate 4G and 5G rollouts, with an internet penetration of 33% (Datareportal). These dynamics make telecom tower infrastructure a crucial enabler of network expansion and digital inclusion across the three countries.

Indus, however, will be entering a competitive tower landscape currently dominated by established players such as IHS Towers, Helios Towers, and American Tower Corporation (ATC). For instance, IHS operates more than 16,000 sites in Nigeria, while Helios has established a strong footprint in markets such as Tanzania, the DRC, Ghana, and South Africa. Indus’ challenge will be to differentiate itself through cost efficiency, sustainability, and leveraging Airtel’s regional scale to capture market share.

Still, its entry could inject fresh competition, driving lower leasing costs for mobile operators and accelerating rural coverage. According to Mordor Intelligence, Africa’s telecom towers and allied market is projected to grow from 217,950 units in 2025 to 273,300 units by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.63%. This growth highlights the significant scope of opportunity for infrastructure providers like Indus Towers.

With 251,773 telecom towers across India’s 22 telecom circles, Indus’s entry into Africa marks not just a new chapter in the company’s growth, but also a development that could accelerate digital connectivity and competition in some of the continent’s most dynamic markets.

The planned African expansion will be subject to regulatory approvals and compliance requirements, with further disclosures to follow as material developments occur. Indus Towers also signaled that it will continue to explore additional African markets where Airtel has a significant presence, highlighting its ambition to become a key player in the continent’s evolving digital infrastructure landscape.

Hikmatu Bilali