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IHS
Towers Signs Agreement to Sell Kuwait Operations to Zain Group
December
02, 2024, London/Kuwait City: IHS Holding Limited, (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”), one of the largest independent owners,
operators and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has signed a definitive agreement to sell
IHS Towers’ 70% interest in IHS Kuwait Limited (“IHS Kuwait”) including its approximate 1,675 sites and an additional
approximately 700 sites managed in Kuwait to Zain Group. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including government
and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first half of 2025.
The
terms of the transaction reflect an enterprise value1 of $230 million for the IHS Kuwait portfolio, implying a transaction
multiple of 14.2x based on an estimated IHS Kuwait Adjusted EBITDA after leases2. This represents a significant premium compared
to the current valuation multiple of the IHS Towers group.
Entering
into this agreement is part of IHS Towers' ongoing strategic review targeted at shareholder value-creation options. As previously indicated,
the proceeds will primarily be utilized to reduce company debt.
Sam
Darwish, Chairman & CEO, IHS Towers, commented, “Today’s
announcement forms part of our wider ambition to drive shareholder value and enhance our balance sheet. The transfer of IHS Kuwait to
Zain, the largest mobile network operator in Kuwait, not only highlights the significant value contained within our portfolio but will
also allow us to further reduce our net leverage.”
---ENDS---
About
IHS Towers: IHS Towers is one of the largest independent owners, operators and developers
of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count and is solely focused on the emerging markets. The Company has over
40,000 towers across its 10 markets, including Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kuwait, Nigeria, Rwanda,
South Africa and Zambia. For more information, please email: communications@ihstowers.com or visit: www.ihstowers.com
About
Zain Group: Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and
Africa, serving 47.2 million active customers as of 30 September 2024. With a commercial presence in 8 countries, Zain provides
mobile voice and data services in: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan. In UAE, ZainTECH, the Group’s
one-stop digital and ICT solutions provider, is playing a key role in the transformation of enterprise and government clientele across
the MENA region. Also, UAE based, Zain Omantel International (ZOI) is revolutionizing the international telecommunications wholesale
landscape as the premier wholesale powerhouse serving regional operators, international carriers, and global hyper scalers. In Morocco,
Zain has a 15.5% stake in ‘INWI’, through a joint venture. Zain is listed on the Boursa Kuwait (stock ticker: ZAIN). For
more, please email info@zain.com or visit: www.zain.com
1 Enterprise value is defined as anticipated
cash consideration to be received plus borrowings less cash in the business and stated for a 100% shareholding.
2 Estimated Adjusted
EBITDA for the MENA segment for the year ended December 31, 2024, excluding non-Kuwait segment costs of $0.4 million, and reduced by
$12 million for incremental lease costs in Kuwait.
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