TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2015: event report

254 leaders of the African tower industry gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre for the third annual TowerXchange Meetup Africa, including a record turnout of towercos and MNOs for this renowned networking event. Attendees toured a sold out expo of 45 proven passive infrastructure equipment and service providers, connected and shared best practices through over five hours of unique roundtable breakouts, and enjoyed the hospitality of the continent’s leading exhibition facility and Cape Town’s most famous steak restaurant!

The TowerXchange Meetup Africa, Africa’s leading telecoms infrastructure event, made a triumphant transfer to the continent’s most prestigious venue, the Sandton Convention Centre, on October 1 and 2 2015.

TowerXchange assembled 254 of the most influential decision makers in African telecom towers for what has become the most unmissable networking event in the African telecoms infrastructure calendar.

How we promote TowerXchange Meetups

- The core of our promotional campaign is TowerXchange’s proprietary database of the top 15,000 decision makers in the global telecom tower industry

- The TowerXchange database includes the management teams of 153 towercos who between them own over 2mn of the world’s 3.3mn towers

- We also maintain relationships with over 3,000 CXOs and Heads of M&A, Network Planning, Procurement and Tower Strategy at MNOs worldwide

- TowerXchange is read by 542 investment and investment advisory firms, providing an invaluable interface with the providers of debt and equity to towercos, MNOs and their suppliers

- TowerXchange also maintains the world’s most exhaustive database of telecom infrastructure suppliers, from tower manufacturers, managed service providers, to RMS, site management platforms, access control and energy equipment and service providers

- Every month TowerXchange adds an average of 700 new highly qualified members to our community through a combination of “pull” marketing via TowerXchange research, and P2P introductions and research within the tower industry

- A total of 76,884 personalised emails with industry specific messaging were sent to our database to promote the TowerXchange Meetup Africa

- Our email campaign is supported by a direct mail campaign to 253 selected VIPs, and by a courtesy calls to over 1,000 key target attendees

- A key component of our promotional campaign is the TowerXchange Africa Dossier – this annual publication collates and updates critical baseline data and the best interviews with key African tower industry stakeholders

- We use Google Adwords to amplify the findability of the dossier, and other selected industry news and analyses, attracting new, qualified members to our community

- The TowerXchange Journal is our most important media partner; 94% of attendees were Journal subscribers, 66% of attendees had been interviewed in the Journal

- TowerXchange are grateful for the support of our media and association partners for Africa:

- Africa Monitor

- Analysys Mason

- BMI Research

- Hardiman Telecommunications

- Inside Towers

- The National Association of Tower Erectors

Towercos have deployed over US$5bn to acquire 39%, or 48,214 of the 122,739 towers in SSA, but just 1.4%, 2,040 of 139,800 towers in MENA. TowerXchange forecast that 96,000 towers in MEA could be owned and operated by independent towercos in a year’s time, when we reconvene for the TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2016 on October 19 and 20 back at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Inorganic growth will be driven by the sale and leaseback of MTN’s towers in South Africa, the return to market of previously cancelled Airtel tower sales including in Tanzania and the DRC, potential transactions in Mozambique and Senegal, and in particular by a swathe of transactions in MENA, starting with Mobily’s sale of 9,600 towers in KSA and Zain’s sale of 6,600 towers across KSA and Kuwait.

After a down year in 2015, inorganic growth will pick up in 2016 with over 10,000 new towers to be built in 2016, the majority of which are destined for towerco rather than MNO balance sheets.

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1. The best and only opportunity to meet Africa’s leading towerco CXOs and MNO tower strategists

2. By 2016 towercos will own almost all the investible towers in SSA

3. Towerco penetration is forecast to increase 10x in MENA in 2016

4. For the first time, the TowerXchange Meetup Expo can be visited free of charge by buy-side decision makers!

5. The new TowerXchange Investors Club will attract unprecedented representation from debt, equity and institutional investors

6. The TowerXchange Meetup Africa 2016 will include senior representation from all Africa’s leading towercos, including IHS

7. Towercos and MNOs increasingly rely on TowerXchange to shortlist recipients of RFPs

8. Learn where the next tower transactions are taking place, and who the new decision makers will be

9. Identify where new tower builds and new technology rollouts are driving growth

10. Meet with existing and new business partners within the African tower industry supply chain

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American Tower CFO, International

American Tower SVP, Treasurer

American Tower Vice President IT and PE, EMEA

American Tower President, LatAm and EMEA

AMN Managing Director

AMN Business Development Director

ATC Ghana Chief Executive Officer

ATC Uganda Chief Executive Officer

Atlas Tower General Manager

Atlas Tower General Manager

Atlas Tower General Manager

Atlas Tower CEO

Connect Africa Managing Director

Eaton Towers Acting CEO

edotco Chief Sales & Marketing Officer

Helios Towers Africa Business Development Director

Helios Towers Africa Structural Engineer

Helios Towers Africa Operations Director

Helios Towers Africa CEO

Helios Towers Africa O&M Manager

Helios Towers Africa Chief Operations Officer

Helios Towers Africa Supply Chain Manager

Helios Towers Africa Head of Country Operations

Helios Towers Africa Executive Chairman

Helios Towers Africa Technical Director

Helios Towers Nigeria CEO

Hotspot Network CEO

SBA Communications VP, Business Development

SBA Communications President - International Division

SWAP TECHNOLOGIES & TELECOMS PLC Country Manager

SWAP TECHNOLOGIES & TELECOMS PLC Acting Group CEO

SWAP TECHNOLOGIES & TELECOMS PLC Chief Marketing Officer

TASC Towers CEO

Towerco of Madagascar CEO

Towershare President and CEO

Towershare CTO

Towershare Director Sales

Towershare Manager Strategy and Planning

Towershare General Counsel

Airtel Chief of Staff

Cell C Executive: Technical Facilities

Econet Wireless Group CTO

Econet Wireless Head - Network Construction

Econet Wireless Non Executive Director

Etisalat Head of M&A

Etisalat Director M&A at Etisalat Group

Etisalat Director and Head of Business Planning & Valuation, M&A

Etisalat Manager - Business Planning and Valuation, Corporate M&A

Expresso Senegal Chief Executive Officer

Expresso Telecom Group (Dubai) Chief Executive Officer

Millicom Infrastructure Manager

MTN GM Capital Projects

MTN Senior Manager M&A

MTN General Manager

MTN M&A Executive

MTN Senior Manager M&A

Telkom Procurement Manager

TIGO Head of Operations

TIGO Head of Procurement & Supply Chain

Vodacom Manager: Strategic Technologies - Property

Vodacom National Network Property Manager

Vodacom Executive Head: Field Force Maintenance & Network Property

Vodafone Network Supply Chain

Vodafone Head of Network Supply Chain

3i Director

3i Senior Associate

Baybridge Investments Technical Consultant

Capital Group Private Markets, Inc. Associate

Capital International SARL Partner

Citi Head of Telecoms MENA

Credit-Suisse Director

FMO Senior Investment Officer

IFC Chief Investment Officer

IFC  Head - Telecom, Media & Technology Group

ING Bank Director

Standard Bank Managing Director, Global Head of Telecoms & Media

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Manager

WENDEL AFRICA Managing Director, CEO

Yield Capital Partners Managing Partner

Abloy Managing Director

Abloy Sales Manager South Africa

Abloy Area Director

ACSYS Sales Director Southern Africa

ACSYS

ACSYS representing CCT Strategic Partnership Director

ACSYS representing CCT Sales Director - Central Africa

Analysys Mason Senior Partner

Detecon International GmbH Managing Consultant

Hardiman Telecommunications Founder & Managing Partner

Hardiman Telecommunications Managing Partner

Hardiman Telecommunications Senior Consultant

Intrepid Advisory Services Managing Director

Norton Rose Fulbright Partner

Norton Rose Fulbright Partner

Philips Lytle Attorney/Partner

UBS Head of Research

3Tech Regional Manager

AKD Solar CEO

AMARARAJA BATTERIES LTD Head – Exports (ISBU)

AMARARAJA BATTERIES LTD Chief Marketing Officer (ISBU)

Apollo Solar CEO

ASCOT Industrial srl Area manager Africa

ASCOT Industrial srl

ASCOT Industrial srl President

ASCOT Industrial srl

Ausonia Export Dept Area Manager

Ausonia CEO

Ballard Power Systems Sales Director EMEA

Bladon Jets VP Market Development

Cambridge Clean Energy (CCE) Sales Manager, Africa

Cambridge Clean Energy (CCE) Managing Director, Africa

China Shoto Vice sales manager, Middle east & Africa branch, Marketing Department

China Shoto Sales personnel

China Shoto CTO

China Shoto Sales manager, Middle east & Africa branch, Marketing Department

COSLIGHT INDIA TELECOM PVT LTD VP - Sales & Marketing

COSLIGHT INDIA TELECOM PVT LTD Sr Manager - Solutions & Engineering

Cummins Power Generation Low KVA Segment Leader - Africa

Cummins Power Generation Business Director - VSPP Segments and Independent Business - Cummins Africa

Cummins Power Generation Regional Sales Director, Car and General, Nairobi, Kenya

Eltek Regional Sales Director

Eltek Regional Manager - SSA

Eltek Key Account Manager

Emerson Network Power Managing Director: Sales, Sub Sahara Africa

Emerson Network Power Vice President, Global Accounts

Emerson Network Power Sales Director, Sub Saharan Africa

Enatel Energy

Enatel Energy Director of Sales and Marketing

Energy Vision Executive Chairman, Founder

Energy Vision CFO, Co Founder

EnerSys Telecom Market Director EMEA

EnerSys Sales Director MEA

Enersys Powertech

Enertika CFO

Enertika Business Development Director-private sector

Ennera Chief Executive Officer

Ennera CCO - Telecom

Ergos Energy Managing Partner

Flexenclosure Commercial Director

Flexenclosure Sales Director Southern Africa

Flexenclosure Vice President eSite

Generator Logic General Manager

Generator Logic CEO

Greenpole CEO

GS Yuasa Manager

GS Yuasa Regional Manager - EMEA

Heliocentris Technical Sales Engineer, ICT Hub sub-Saharan Africa

Heliocentris Marketing Manager

Heliocentris General Manager ICT Hub - Sub Saharan Africa

Heliocentris VP Sales and Marketing

Hybrid Energy Solutions Ltd Business Development Director - Middle East and Africa

Hybrid Energy Solutions Ltd CEO

Inala representing Imergy Power Systems

Inala representing Imergy Power Systems

IPI Group Holding Chief Executive Officer

IPT PowerTech VP & COO

IPT PowerTech VGM - Power Division

Lineage Power Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer

MANTRAC Group Head of International sales

MANTRAC Group Power Systems Segment Manager - Africa

MANTRAC Group Power Systems Segment Manager – Telecommunications, Hybrid Microgrid & Mining

NorthStar

NorthStar Sales Manager Africa

NorthStar Head of EMEA

Pace Power Tanzania Limited Sr. Manager Business Development

Planetary Power VP Business Development

SolarCast President and CEO

Sunco Energy SL Business Development Director -private sector

TOTAL MEA Solar Coordinator

TOTAL Head of Energy Solutions

Trojan Battery Company Director Marketing Development

Voltalia Business Development Director

Wind-It Chief Executive Officer

Wind-It CTO

Anchor Telecoms Chief Executive Officer

Anglobal SA New Business & International Director

Camusat Product Manager e.power

Camusat Group CTO & TCO Developer Officer

Camusat COO Africa

Delmec Engineering Ltd Chief Technical Officer

EkiStruct CEO

Eurico Ferreira Country Director

GreenX Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer

HOI-MEA Business Development Manager

HOI-MEA COO

ieng Group COO

Infratel Chairman

Leadcom Head of NTSS sales Africa region

Leadcom Head of NTSS Delivery Africa region

Likusasa Group Proposals Manager

Likusasa Regional Sales Manager, South Africa and Lesotho

M-P Infrastructure Managing Director

Mer Group Telecom Division VP Sales Africa-Asia

Mer Group Telecom Division Deputy CEO, C. Mer industries ltd.

Netis CEO

Netis Ghana Chief Executive Officer

NEWL Head of Business

NEWL Malawi Head of Operations

QTE CEO

QTE CCO

Quanta TowerGen President

R.S. INFRA PROJECTS. Pvt. Ltd Director

R.S. INFRA PROJECTS. Pvt. Ltd Telecom Head

Ramboll Project Director

Ramboll India Telecom Technical Director

Sagemcom Deputy Sales Director

Sagemcom Kenya Branch Manager

Zamil Infra Sr. Project Manager

Zamil Infra Vice President- Sales

Zamil Infra CEO

Accruent Market Strategy Director

AIO Systems

AIO Systems VP Sales

Azeti Partner Manager

Azeti VP EMEA & APAC

Cisco Solution Sales

Cisco Product Manager

HMS Industrial Networks AB Global Key Account Manager

Inala Technologies (Pty) Ltd. CEO

Inala Technologies (Pty) Ltd. Operations Manager

Inala Technologies (Pty) Ltd. Group Executive - Telecoms

Industrial Data Xchange (IDX) Managing Member

Infozech Business Manager - Africa

Infozech Head Africa

Infozech COO

Invendis COO

Invendis CEO

nexsysone CTO

nexsysone CFO

nexsysone CEO

Qowisio Sales Director

Qowisio Operations Director Africa

Tarantula Sales Director Europe

Telemisis Commercial Director

ZNV Managing Director

ZNV Chairman & CEO

Huawei ESAR Energy & Infrastructure Solution Manager

Huawei Director, Network Energy, Telecom Energy marketing support department

Huawei Director, Energy & Infrastructure Solution Sales

ZTE Director of power and energy

Ganges Internationale (P) Ltd. GM - Exports

LeBLANC Communications Engineering Manager

LeBLANC Communications Director, International Sales

Metalogalva International Commercial Manager

Metalogalva Business Unit Manager - Telecom

Orion Slobozia Commercial Manager

Sabre Industries Director of International Sales

Seccional Brazil Director

TowerTech Africa CCO

TowerTech Africa COO

EXFO Director of Technical Sales Support and BDM for Fronthaul/FTTA

O3b Networks Market Intelligence Officer

SIGFOX Director, Networks & Operators

Unison Site Management CEO