HTA Debt

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Helios Towers Plc (“HT” or the “Company”) is an independent tower company operating across nine countries in Africa and the Middle East, namely Congo-Brazzaville, DRC, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Oman, Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa (altogether, “OpCos”). HT provides passive telecommunications infrastructure and rents out tower space to large mobile phone companies, but also internet service and data providers. HT has over 14,000 sites across these countries.  In 2020, the proposed Project entailed the provision of a debt package of up to US$[200] million from IFC’s own account and up to US$[225] million in mobilization or parallel loans to support HT’s expansion in Africa. The underlying loans will be made to country specific operating companies (OpCos). Senegal was the first country to be financed to acquire over 1,200 sites from Free Senegal and rollout 400 build-to-suit sites in the next 5 years.   This ESRS is being updated in May 2024 because HT has invited IFC to act as anchor investor in its US$850mn bond issuance alongside other DFIs. The bond proceeds will be used to refinance an outstanding bond and finance future CAPEX needs for organic growth (e.g. new built-to-suit sites and co-locations) and potential future acquisitions, as well as general corporate purposes. The proposed IFC investment comprises a subscription to the bond in an amount of $50 million, with IFC acting as anchor investor for the total bond issuance. This new investment does not change the overall environmental and social (E&S) risk profile of the project. IFC has previously invested in Helios Towers and Helios Towers Africa (IFC projects 26627 and 29627), which were disclosed on March 27, 2009 and May 6, 2010. The third investment (IFC project 34963) was disclosed on October 20, 2015 at https://disclosures.ifc.org/#/projectDetail/ESRS/34963. All previous investments have had satisfactory E&S performance.