• Airtel Africa and Vodacom agreed to share infrastructure in Mozambique, Tanzania, and DRC to boost connectivity, pending regulatory approval.
• The partnership aims to reduce costs, extend coverage to rural areas, and accelerate 4G/5G rollout using shared fibre and tower networks.
• This deal supports Africa's digital economy by enhancing internet reliability and access to services like mobile banking and e-learning.

On August 12, Airtel Africa and Vodacom Group announced an infrastructure sharing agreement in three markets including Mozambique, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), pending regulatory approvals in each country. The move marks a significant step toward closing Africa’s connectivity gap and advancing the continent’s digital economy.

“Providing connectivity to empower people is at the core of our strategy,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub. “Through infrastructure sharing, we can provide cost-effective services to more people, more rapidly, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age. As we work toward connecting 260 million customers by 2030, scalable and cost-efficient network solutions are becoming increasingly important.”

Under the partnership, the two telecom giants will share fibre networks and tower infrastructure to accelerate the rollout of digital services, reduce infrastructure costs, and speed up time-to-market for next-generation networks. By leveraging existing assets, the collaboration aims to extend coverage to underserved and rural communities, improve internet reliability, and deliver faster broadband speeds.

Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar echoed the sentiment, noting that “even as competitors, it has become a business imperative to collaborate in building resilient networks with strong capacity to support emerging technologies and the growing demand for data.” He added that the partnership will also expand access to financial services and digital tools that can transform lives, particularly in remote areas.

The Airtel Africa–Vodacom partnership comes at a critical moment in Africa’s digital transformation journey. Despite progress in mobile penetration, a significant connectivity gap persists. In the three initial target markets—Mozambique, Tanzania, and the DRC—connectivity rates lag behind the current world average of 68%, standing at just 20% in Mozambique, 29% in Tanzania, and 31% in the DRC, as of 2023, according to World Bank Data. Expanding high-speed connectivity is seen as critical to unlocking economic opportunities, supporting small businesses, and providing access to essential services such as mobile banking, telemedicine, and e-learning.

Network infrastructure sharing among Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Africa is a strategic response to soaring deployment costs, spectrum limitations, and the continent’s diverse geography. With Africa’s mobile subscriptions expected to reach as high as 1.2 billion by 2030, according to the 2024 Ericsson Mobility Report, MNOs are increasingly turning to sharing models to optimize resources, expand coverage—particularly in rural and underserved areas, while accelerating adoption of 4G and 5G technologies. Research shows sharing towers in low-income markets significantly lowers mobile and data costs and boosts rural connectivity. Moreover, by reducing duplication of infrastructure, sharing also supports environmentally sustainable network expansion.

This development reflects a broader shift in Africa’s telecom sector toward collaborative and sustainable network models. Recent examples of similar partnerships in Africa include the March 2025 agreement between MTN Group and Airtel Africa to share tower and network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, with potential expansion to Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia. In January 2025, Vodacom and Orange partnered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to deploy up to 2,000 solar-powered base stations over six years, expanding connectivity in off-grid areas while promoting the use of renewable energy.

If approved by regulators, the deal could serve as a blueprint for similar partnerships across Africa, bringing the continent closer to its goal of an inclusive, sustainable, and connected digital future.

Hikmatu Bilali