Investment

The Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF) is loaning a combined US$82.8 million to two Africa-focused telecom infrastructure firms.

Following the successful subscription of its Series 1 corporate bond, technology solutions and services company Dimension Data Limited says it has completed the signing ceremony for the issuance of N4.05 billion (approximately US$2.9 million).

Malaysia’s MBSB Bank said on Monday it has entered into a RM400 million (US$97.6 million) Shariah-compliant structured receivable purchase facility with Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) to support deployment of 5G RAN equipment and services for U Mobile’s network.

Thai telco True Corp confirmed on Tuesday that China Mobile International is looking to sell a small chunk of its 7.81% stake in the company, but denied a Bloomberg report claiming that China Mobile planned to unload the entire stake.

Lesotho has secured what is being described as the largest foreign investment in its history with the signing of the US$6.2 billion Kobong Project, whose aims include the development of hydropower resources and an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre.

Despite the growing concern about the development of data centres in the country – and particularly in Johor, as we reported on Tuesday – this week has seen some major financing deals that aim to further boost the data centre industry in Malaysia, though both deals emphasise their green credentials.

The Malaysian government is reportedly having second thoughts about its incentives to attract foreign investment for data centre projects as part of a broader move to rethink its strategy to build Malaysia into a major AI data centre hub.

Côte d’Ivoire is getting Starlink LEO satellite services and a sovereign national data centre, among other things, following a state visit to Abidjan by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank R. Garcia last Thursday.

India’s government is injecting a further US$13.30 billion (INR 1.28 trillion) into an existing semiconductor manufacturing initiative, according to Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Multilateral development bank IDB Invest says it has led a US$140 million financing package for Torrecom Partners, a US-based leading independent telecom tower operator in Latin America, to support the expansion of digital infrastructure, connectivity and competitiveness across the region.

African data centre platform Raxio Group says it has passed US$380 million in committed capital as shareholders Meridiam and Roha increased their support for the company’s next phase of growth following a sixfold surge in contracted capacity this year.

The Gambian government has begun the privatisation of its state-owned mobile operator, Gamcel, whose parent company, Gamtel, last week signed an agreement with private operator YCELL.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of up to €270 million to Yas, a leading pan-African telecommunications company owned by Axian Telecom, to support the expansion of digital infrastructure and improve connectivity across Africa.

Angola's biggest telecommunications operator, Unitel, is preparing an initial public offering (IPO) of its shares on the local stock exchange and will launch a roadshow next week, according to a company statement.

Global digital operator Veon – which owns Bangladesh telco Banglalink – announced Tuesday it has committed an initial US$250 million anchor investment as part of a new initiative to attract US$1 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Bangladesh.

Zain Group, a Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications company operating in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa and serving 51.2 million customers, has been awarded a 25-year licence to operate the former MTN mobile telecom network in Syria.

Amazon has announced plans to invest an additional US$13 billion to expand AI and cloud infrastructure in India, taking its total investment in the country to US$48 billion between 2026 and 2030.

Communication & Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI), a telecom energy service and asset management company and part of global corporate group two33, has received a funding boost for the expansion of its renewable energy assets across Africa.

There’s been further good news for India’s number three operator Vodafone Idea (aka Vi) after the announcement of a major investment.

KKR, Nvidia, the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) and power company Vistra have launched Helix Digital Infrastructure, a new company backed by more than US$10 billion in capital to build AI infrastructure for hyperscalers.

Malawi and technology giant Huawei are widely reported to have been discussing strategies to implement a US$180-million national ICT investment, which Huawei has apparently committed to for the next four years.

NuRAN Wireless, a rural connectivity company, has announced a mandate letter with Afrigreen Debt Impact Fund for a proposed senior debt financing of up to US$12 million to accelerate the deployment of mobile and broadband infrastructure across multiple African nations.

Kenya’s digital development could be boosted by two recently announcements: enhanced EU funding and, potentially, an Amazon satellite ground station in Kenya, which would expand competition in the LEO satellite communications market. 

A number of important initiatives have been announced in recent days aimed at enhancing digital connectivity in West and North Africa.

IQSTEL, a global connectivity, AI and digital services company, has announced a binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire a 51% controlling interest in Ghana-headquartered Ultranet Telecom Group.

A number of news outlets are reporting that tech giant Samsung Electronics is planning to invest about US$1.5 billion in Vietnam to build a semiconductor testing plant, though neither the company nor the country have formally confirmed this.

Togo and Poland have signed a EUR24 million (about US$27.85 million) financing agreement to support the local development of next-generation drones.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has approved a commitment of up to $100 million to invest in Africa-focused technology fund managers, as the institution looks to accelerate the continent’s digital industrialisation.

At the recent Africa Forward Summit pan-African operator Orange announced what it calls a major acceleration of its commitments to youth employability, entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, connectivity and inclusive artificial intelligence across the African continent.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is strengthening Jordan’s position as a regional digital hub with a US$14.1 million loan to digital ecosystem Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH) in Aqaba, a coastal city located on the Red Sea.

State-run operator Telecel Zimbabwe is looking for an investor willing not only to take on a very big debt burden but also to put a lot of fresh capital into reviving the company.

Two recent announcements, from smart devices provider Honor and smart mobility specialist Valeo, have underlined the strategic important of Egypt to Middle Eastern and African ITC by growing their presence in the country.

Millicom, a major international operator with a strong focus on Latin America, has officially introduced its Tigo brand in Uruguay and at the same time announced an investment initiative of US$600 million aimed at expanding the country's digital infrastructure.