KINSHASA, May 18 – Helios Towers Plc plans to invest $110 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the telecom infrastructure company deepens its expansion in one of Africa’s fastest-growing mobile markets.
Chief Executive Officer Tom Greenwood said Congo remains one of the company’s most attractive investment destinations across its nine African markets because of rapidly rising demand for mobile connectivity and data services.
“When we look at our capital allocation across the whole nine markets, DRC is consistently at, or close to, the top of our list,” Greenwood said in an interview in London.
The new investment will support the rollout of several hundred additional telecom tower sites across the country, where an estimated 40 million people still lack mobile network coverage.
Africa’s mobile data consumption is projected to quadruple over the next five years, with Congo expected to record even faster growth rates as smartphone adoption and internet penetration accelerate.
The investment comes as major telecom operators including Vodacom Group Ltd., Bharti Airtel Ltd. and Orange SA increase capital spending across the continent, particularly on 5G infrastructure that requires denser tower networks and greater antenna capacity.
Helios Towers Plc entered Congo in 2011 and currently operates around 3,000 towers in the country.
Operations in Congo contributed more than one-third of the company’s $854 million revenue in 2025, helping drive Helios shares to record highs this month after the firm upgraded guidance for additional tower tenants across its markets.
The company is also in discussions with Congo’s national electricity utility to extend grid connections to remote areas lacking reliable power supply.
Greenwood said the arrangement mirrors a model previously implemented in Tanzania, where Helios partnered with state utility Tanesco to expand electricity infrastructure alongside telecom deployments.
The strategy could reduce reliance on diesel generators, solar systems and hybrid battery installations that currently power many remote tower sites.
Despite higher global energy prices linked to geopolitical tensions, Greenwood said the company’s profitability remains largely protected because fuel-cost increases are passed through to customers under existing contracts.
The expansion highlights growing investor confidence in Africa’s digital infrastructure sector as rising internet usage, mobile banking adoption and streaming demand drive the need for broader network coverage across the continent.
