Paradigm Tower Ventures has completed the acquisition of the IHS Rwanda Limited to IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS), it is the maiden investment of the company and a major enhancement of the digital infrastructure in Rwanda. The 274.5 million deal which was first reported in May 2025 will see control of about 1,467 tower sites in the country shifted to Paradigm to make it the most dominant tower operator in Rwanda. The sites support over 5.3 million Rwandans to have access to vital services like mobile money and digital communications through the mobile networks.
The deal, which was first announced in May 2025, will hand over ownership of some 1,467 tower sites nationwide to Paradigm, making it the most important independent tower operator in Rwanda.
With the support of a group of global funders, such as the Convergence Partners, British International Investment (BII), and Proparco, the Paradigm Tower Ventures is expected to increase the connectivity and reduce the price of cellular services in Rwanda and the region. The transaction was structured and funded by Rand Merchant Bank which is a branch of FirstRand Bank Limited. Paradigm claimed that the acquisition would contribute to enhancing the quality and affordability of the networks to promote digital inclusion towards the realization of national digital transformation in Rwanda. Studies have shown that GDP per capita can increase by 2.5 percent in African economies in case there is a 10 percent growth in the number of mobile subscribers.
Co-founder and chairman of the Paradigm, Stephen Harris, said the company was happy to enter the Rwandan market, promising to make the infrastructure more efficient and long-lasting. His response is that they are working on making the current infrastructure more efficient and environmentally friendly as well as supporting the expansion of mobile network coverage and connectivity.Convergence Partners Founder and Chairman Andile Ngcaba remarked that the investment was the type of opportunity where joint belief, effective partners and sound principles are united to produce a long-lasting value in the Continent. He further said the platform would act as a fundamental facilitator to new data, cloud and AI-driven services in Africa.
Abhinav Sinha, Managing Director and Head of Technologies, Telecoms and Sustainable Industrials at BII, announced that the investment is an indication of a desire to close the digital divide in Africa. And by providing people with access to high-quality, affordable connectivity, we are enabling millions of people to unlock new opportunities, be it a student that can now do online studies, a small business owner that can now use mobile payments, or a health care worker that can now meet remote communities, he said. According to Djalal Khimdjee, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proparco, the transaction is a sign of trust and further support of the organisation to Convergence and its vision to increase digital coverage in Africa.
The decision by Paradigm to venture into Rwanda is an indication that the investors believe in the stable policy conditions of the nation and the high demand of connectivity. It is not the end of this acquisition, as the company intends to develop and construct more carrier-neutral tower properties to help the mobile operators to spread and speed up the process of digital inclusion in Africa.
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