MTN Group has taken another major step toward completing its proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of IHS Holding Limited, after shareholders overwhelmingly approved the transaction at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The vote represents a significant milestone in a deal that could reshape Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure landscape.
The acquisition, first announced in February 2026, will see MTN acquire the remaining shares in IHS Holding that it does not already own. Once finalized, the transaction will bring one of Africa’s largest mobile network operators and one of the continent’s biggest independent telecommunications tower companies under a single ownership structure.
For MTN, the acquisition is about far more than ownership—it is a strategic move to strengthen control over one of the most critical components of its business: network infrastructure.
Mobile tower companies such as IHS own and operate the physical infrastructure that enables wireless communication, including towers, power systems, and related equipment. Telecom operators typically lease space on these towers rather than own them outright, allowing infrastructure providers to serve multiple mobile network operators simultaneously.
By increasing its ownership of IHS, MTN aims to gain greater operational flexibility over its network assets while reducing long-term infrastructure costs. The company also expects the move to improve network planning, accelerate the rollout of new technologies, and support increasing demand for mobile data, digital services, and broadband connectivity across its markets.
The transaction aligns closely with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, which focuses on evolving the company from a traditional telecommunications operator into a leading digital platform business. The strategy prioritizes investments in network quality, fintech, enterprise services, cloud infrastructure, and digital connectivity as mobile internet usage continues to grow across Africa.
The acquisition also comes at a time when telecom operators across the continent are reassessing their infrastructure strategies. Rising energy costs, currency volatility, and increasing demand for high-speed connectivity have placed greater emphasis on owning or securing access to resilient digital infrastructure. As data consumption continues to accelerate, network reliability and infrastructure efficiency have become key competitive advantages.
For IHS Holding, the transaction marks another significant chapter in its evolution as one of the world’s largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure. The company manages tens of thousands of towers across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, supporting millions of mobile subscribers through partnerships with leading network operators.
Although shareholders have now approved the acquisition, the transaction is not yet complete. It remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions before it can be finalized.
If completed, the acquisition will rank among the largest telecommunications infrastructure deals in Africa in recent years. Industry observers believe it could strengthen MTN’s long-term competitive position by giving the company greater control over network assets while supporting future investments in 4G expansion, 5G deployment, and broader digital transformation initiatives across the continent.
