- BII is providing $30m anchor commitment, alongside other anchor investors including IFC, DEG and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund.
- The funding will help the independent telecom infrastructure company refinance its existing debt and support its business which serves more than 144 million people on the continent.
British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, participated in Helios Towers’ $850 million public bond offering with a $30m anchor commitment.
Helios Towers is Africa’s leading independent telecoms infrastructure company, operating towers on over 14,000 sites and serving more than 144 million people across the continent. It operates in nine countries including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, the Republic of the Congo (Congo Brazzaville), South Africa, Senegal, Madagascar and Malawi.
The public bond offering, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), will help the company refinance its existing debt and improve access to information and communications services particularly by targeting low levels of mobile and 4G penetration across its geographies.
Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa at BII, said: “As the UK’s DFI, we are pleased to back Helios Tower’s public bond issuance as an anchor investor and be able to mobilise international commercial capital. This will help channel money to the regions that need it the most and improve information and communications services, leading to more inclusive economic growth.”
Manjit Dhillon, Chief Financial Officer, Helios Towers said: “We are delighted to announce the successful pricing of our Bond offering. This reflects the Company’s track record and market diversification since our last Bond offering and expected cash flow generation through to 2026. We thank our bond investors for their ongoing support in the Company and look forward to delivering value for all stakeholders through our Sustainable Business Strategy in the years ahead.”
This is the second LSE-listed public bond issuance BII has anchored, following the successful launch of NMB Sustainability Bond on LSE earlier in May. They underline our support for this route to mobilise international private capital to Africa.
For media inquiries please contact:
British International Investment: Nia Tam | [email protected]
About British International Investment
British International Investment (BII) is the UK’s development finance institution and a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. It invests to support the UK Government’s Clean Green Initiative and to create productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies in eligible markets. Between 2022 and 2026, at least 30 percent of BII’s total new commitments by value will be in climate finance. The company has investments in over 1,470 businesses in emerging economies across 65 countries and total assets of £8.1 billion. For further information about BII and its impactful initiatives, please visit: www.bii.co.uk | watch here.