Airtel Africa

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 Airtel Africa (the “company”) is an integrated mobile network operator offering mobile voice and data services as well as mobile banking services. The company maintains a presence in 14 countries in Africa through local subsidiary operating companies. It offers mobile voice and data services largely through the provision of 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks. The company also offers mobile money services to customers which provides an opportunity to extend financial services and products to underserved populations. The company operates mobile telecommunication networks, fibre network infrastructure, data centres, and an extensive sales and distribution network of shops and kiosks.IFC is seeking to support Airtel Africa’s capital expenditure requirements for the next two years in 7 of its 14 operating companies, namely Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Republic of the Congo, and Zambia (the “project”). The capital expenditure includes the rolling out of new telecommunication sites i.e., telecom towers and base stations; upgrade current sites to support 3G/4G or potentially 5G services; adding carrier bands and sectors for capacity and network upgrade; investment in fiber transmission infrastructures through microwave or fiber connection of sites of the network; and investment in IT systems and sales networks.Airtel Africa is focusing on an asset-light business model and has divested most of its telecommunications tower portfolio and is in the final stages of divesting the majority of its remaining tower portfolio to tower companies. Airtel Africa engages telecommunications tower companies to facilitate the expansion of its networks by either i) leasing space on pre-existing towers, or ii) contracting tower companies to erect towers specific to Airtel Africa’s network coverage needs, in such cases Airtel Africa is referred to in this disclosure as an ‘anchor tenant’. Airtel Africa currently maintains a limited number of strategic tower sites (approximately 2,500) across its business, and presently has no foreseeable plans to materially expand its owned towers portfolio.