👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – $6.2 billion for towers

MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom operator, has offered $8.50 per share to buy out the remaining shares in IHS Towers, taking it fully private. MTN already has roughly 24.7% stake in IHS; if this $2.2 billion deal goes through, it will own 100%, and IHS will delist from the New York Stock Exchange. The deal values IHS at approximately $6.2 billion.

But first, IHS will lose some weight: Before MTN takes full control, IHS is disposing of its Latin American assets. Selling Latin America narrows IHS’s focus and likely simplifies regulatory approvals. It also makes the nearly 29,000 towers easier to integrate back into MTN’s core African operations.

What this acquisition means: This is MTN indirectly buying back the infrastructure it sold to IHS in 2022. For years, telecom operators sold towers to independent companies to free up cash and reduce capital intensity. Now, MTN is reversing that logic by owning the towers outright. This can allow it to internalise the margin it used to pay IHS and directly benefit from leasing tower space to other operators.

It still isn’t final: MTN still needs regulatory and shareholder approvals, as well as an agreement on customary closing conditions to finalise the deal. In a statement, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the Ministry would undertake a “thorough assessment” of the transaction in collaboration with relevant regulators.

On Monday, Nigeria opened a formal probe into Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant which entered the country in 2024, over alleged data protection breaches.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says it is investigating Temu’s data processing practices, including cross-border transfers, opaque handling of personal data, and potential violations of data minimisation rules. The platform reportedly handles data belonging to about 12.7 million Nigerians, some of whose data have been exposed due to poor handling, according to the regulator.

Catch up: Over the past two years, regulators have signalled that data compliance is no longer theoretical. The same commission fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766 million ($567 million) in 2025 for breaches. If enforcement follows precedent, Temu could face meaningful financial and operational consequences.

Temu has responded to the allegations of data breach, according to The Guardian. The Chinese e-commerce company said it plans to “engage in open and constructive dialogue with the NDPC to address any questions or concerns.”

Zoom out: Temu’s playbook is scale fast, price low, optimise later. That strategy works best in loosely regulated markets. Nigeria, however, is tightening oversight just as foreign platforms race to capture price-sensitive consumers. Data has become part of the cost of doing business, and other countries, including South Africa, have been investigating foreign e-commerce players, like Temu and Shein, over similar concerns.

Between the lines: For local e-commerce startups, this probe cuts two ways. On one hand, stricter enforcement raises compliance costs across the board. On the other, it levels the playing field. If global giants are held to Nigerian standards, local players no longer compete against companies that treat data rules as optional friction.

Nigeria wants to be a serious digital economy. Serious digital economies enforce their data laws. Cheap goods may win customers. But compliance determines who gets to stay.

After shocking footage of a driver being attacked and killed in Pretoria West, and another reportedly assaulted in KwaZulu-Natal a few days later, South Africa’s ride-hailing industry is on edge. 

The National E-Hailers Federation of South Africa is demanding stricter rider verification from platforms like Uber, Bolt, and inDrive. Their argument is that if drivers are heavily screened, riders should be, too.

What they’re asking for: The federation wants biometric checks, ID scans, and SIM cards linked through the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) before anyone can request a ride. RICA is a local law requiring all SIM cards to be registered with personal details. This means they no longer want anonymous passengers.

Wait, aren’t there new regulations already? Since September 2025, South Africa’s Department of Transport amended the National Land Transport Act, which stipulates that drivers must correctly brand their vehicles, hold operating licences, and install driver and passenger-facing panic buttons. But the federation wants panic buttons that connect directly to police, not just private security firms. There is also a new jurisdiction rule that allows drivers to drop off riders outside their area but can’t pick up there. The Federation points out that these rules mostly regulate drivers, and safety cannot be one-sided.

What’s at stake: Drivers across the country have historically threatened and sometimes acted on labour actions. In 2025, e-hailing drivers planned what would have been their first nationwide strike to demand better pay, fairer treatment, safety measures, and job protections from companies. If drivers feel unsafe and the federation decides to escalate to a full strike, that could disrupt services and put pressure on platforms.

The transfer season in Kenya’s banking space is still on. Absa poached several talent from Standard Bank, and tapped Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, a former M-PESA managing director. Ecobank Kenya, too, has made its own statement hire.

The pan-African lender has appointed Rebecca Mbithi, former chief executive of Family Bank, a Kenyan tier-2 bank, as its new managing director. She resumed office on February 9, replacing Josephine Anan Ankomah, who stepped back to focus on her regional role within Ecobank Group.

Mbithi is not walking into a turnaround story. Ecobank Kenya has strengthened its capital position and improved profitability in recent years, helped by tighter cost discipline and operational efficiency. The bank’s core capital sits comfortably above regulatory minimums set by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

What does this hire signal? First, continuity with ambition. Mbithi brings local credibility, regulatory familiarity, and board-level experience. That matters in a market where compliance, capital buffers, and governance have become competitive advantages.

Second, Ecobank is sharpening its Kenya play. While the group spans more than 30 African markets, local execution determines relevance. Kenya’s banking sector is crowded, digitally aggressive, and increasingly price sensitive. Winning requires deep relationships, not just regional scale.

The big picture: Kenyan banking leadership is becoming more fluid, with executives rotating across institutions and importing playbooks from mobile money and fintech.

Ecobank’s bet is simple: pair continental muscle with local leadership that understands the terrain. In Kenya’s competitive banking market, that combination could determine who grows next.

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* Data as of 06.40 AM WAT, February 18, 2026.