Helios Towers signs agreement with SA Towers

Helios Towers, the independent telecoms tower infrastructure company, says that it has signed an agreement with the South African tower company, SA Towers whereby it will acquire a controlling interest in the business of SA Towers and fund the business’s future rollout.

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.

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.

This partnership will enable Helios Towers to rapidly scale its South Africa operations, leveraging off SA Towers’:

• Immediate pipeline of urban build-to-suit tower opportunities.
• Significant knowledge of the South African market.
• Regional relationships with the MNOs.
• Town planning expertise and capabilities for managing building permit applications with municipalities.

Read: Helios Towers enters South African market with Vulatel partnership