India’s Indus Towers expands into African markets

안녕하세요,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

India’s Indus Towers expands into African markets
Why M-KOPA thinks access isn’t Africa’s real problem
Bolt Market triples orders in Kenya in 8 months

India’s Indus Towers expands into African markets

Indus Towers, India’s second-biggest telecom tower company and now part of Bharti Airtel, is making its first big leap outside India. The company says it’s ready to expand into Africa, starting with Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, as it looks to diversify its revenue and build a global footprint. Airtel Africa, Bharti Airtel’s arm on the continent, will be its anchor customer.

The move is hardly surprising. Airtel Africa has been active since 2010 and now operates in 15 markets, giving Indus Towers a ready-made springboard into the continent. With that partnership, Indus will avoid starting from scratch and instead plug into existing networks and relationships.

Prachur Sah, the company’s CEO, called the push part of Indus’ “vision for sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value.” He believes Indus’ track record in offering cost-efficient solutions will help it carve out space in Africa’s fast-growing telecom market and eventually become the tower provider of choice.

Back home, Indus already runs over 251,000 towers across India, working with top operators like Airtel, Vodafone Idea, BSNL and MTNL. Earlier this year, it even dipped its toes into EV charging, piloting charging stations in Gurugram and Bengaluru, a clear sign it wants to be more than just a telecom infrastructure player.

Related Story: Kenyan startup Leta expands to Ghana

Financially, the company has shown steady growth. In Q1FY26, its income rose 10.5% year-on-year to ₹8,220.9 crore (about $990 million), even though profit dipped nearly 10% to ₹1,736.8 crore (around $209 million). The results highlight its strong operational base, but also point to some challenges ahead.

Markets didn’t exactly cheer the Africa news. Shares of Indus slipped almost 3% on Tuesday, closing at ₹329.3 (about $4) on the BSE. Still, the company insists its international foray is in line with India’s broader push for homegrown firms to scale globally. And with Airtel already serving more than 169 million customers across 14 African markets, Indus Towers clearly sees a big opportunity to ride that growth wave.

Why M-KOPA thinks access isn’t Africa’s real problem

M-KOPA agent and customer looking at a smartphone — image source: TechCrunch

“Driving financial inclusion” has become the favourite slogan in Africa’s startup scene. It’s powered billion-dollar valuations, lured investors from Silicon Valley to Lagos, and helped millions open accounts. But there’s a growing critique: access alone isn’t enough. For many, the problem isn’t getting a bank account, it’s not having enough income to actually use one.

That’s where M-KOPA takes a different approach. Instead of pushing wallets or accounts, the company starts with something far more tangible: a smartphone. Its pay-as-you-go model targets people in the informal economy, helping them get online while building the foundation for real financial inclusion.

M-KOPA wasn’t always in the smartphone business. The company first made its name financing solar products, before pivoting to phones as the key to reach more people. “The smartphone has moved from an entertainment tool to a productivity tool in a very short period,” Babajide Duroshola, M-KOPA’s Nigeria Country Manager, told Techpoint Africa.

For many customers, that phone is more than a communication device. It’s their workplace, powering small businesses, record keeping, customer communication, and even payments. Layered on top of that, M-KOPA uses its repayment model to teach financial literacy in real time, helping users build trust and confidence while unlocking extras like cash loans, health insurance, data bundles, and airtime financing.

Of course, lending to low-income earners carries risk. Defaults happen. But M-KOPA’s system is built with flexibility in mind, recognising that people in the informal economy don’t earn predictably. Daily payments are small and tied to the phone a customer chooses, and as long as repayments don’t fall below a threshold, users can keep their devices.

In short, the smartphone is both the hook and the trust builder. And with the data M-KOPA is gathering on repayment behaviour, the company could be positioning itself for an even bigger role in Africa’s digital lending space down the line. For more on this play, check out Chimgozirim’s latest for Techpoint Africa.

Bolt Market triples orders in Kenya in 8 months

Bolt Market has seen its grocery orders in Kenya triple since its December launch — a 300% surge in less than a year. The delivery service says Kenyans are warming up fast to having fresh produce, snacks, and household essentials dropped at their doorstep, and it’s gearing up to expand even further.

This matters because Kenya’s eCommerce market is one of Africa’s fastest-growing. Analysts project online retail could bring in KSh 28 billion (about $208 million) by 2027, with grocery deliveries making up a big slice of that pie. Demand is rising at nearly 20% a year, and digital shopping is sliding into the mainstream.

But Bolt isn’t sprinting alone. Glovo, Uber Eats, and a few other players are still competing for a share of Kenyan shopping baskets. At the same time, big retail names like Quickmart and Carrefour are upgrading their delivery offerings to keep up. The space is crowded and cutthroat even after Jumia Food left in 2023.

Quickmart’s aggressive expansion, for instance, shows just how competitive things have become. The retailer has been opening new stores while keeping prices lean, even as inflation bites. By tightening margins with suppliers, it’s betting that affordability will win loyalty in a market where every shilling counts.

Meanwhile, regulators aren’t just watching from the sidelines. The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has flagged the need for stronger consumer protections as online platforms gain ground. From fair pricing to rider welfare, the watchdog says rapid growth mustn’t come at the cost of trust.

The takeaway? Kenya’s grocery game is transforming quickly. Shoppers want convenience, affordability, and speed, and providers that balance all three will win. Whether it’s Bolt’s fast delivery, Glovo’s wide presence, or Quickmart’s price play, the competition will shape how Kenyans fill their baskets in the years ahead.

What I’m watching

How to Have Better Finances Than 95% of People (in 3 Months)
Former Netflix CEO: “Hard Work Does Not Matter!” A $278 Billion Company Wasn’t Built On Hard Work!

Opportunities

Kuda Technologies is hiring a Legal Counsel. Apply here.
FairMoney is looking for a Head of Business Banking Product. Apply here.
Moove is recruiting a Customer Success Executive. Apply here.
Ecobank Nigeria is hiring a Chief Information security officer. Apply here.
The Institute of African and Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos is looking for a Junior Research Fellow. Apply here.
MTN Nigeria is hiring an Operational Risk Specialist. Apply here.
Co-Creation HUB (CcHUB) Nigeria is looking for a Head of Communications. Apply here.
Group Vivendi Africa is hiring an IT Manager. Apply here.
Sun King is hiring across different states in Nigeria. Apply here.
Businessfront, the parent company of Techpoint Africa, is looking for a Managing Editor (FMCG). Apply here.
Africa’s venture scene takes the spotlight at the Lagos Venture Finance Summit on September 5th, 2025. Hosted by Vencapital, the Summit gathers top LPs, GPs, policymakers and ecosystem leaders for high-level conversations, networking and dealmaking. A must-attend for those shaping Africa’s next wave of venture capital. Register here.
Paystack is hiring for several roles in Nigeria and South Africa. Apply here.
Paga is recruiting for several positions. Apply here.
Moniepoint is hiring for several positions. Apply here.
Businessfront, the parent company of Techpoint Africa, is looking for a Researcher and Scriptwriter Intern for Businessfront TV. Apply here.
Are you building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect, you can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
Help us make Techpoint better for you! Your feedback shapes what comes next (your responses may potentially save my job. A bit dramatic, but still). It will only take 30 seconds to tell us what works and what doesn’t. Fill it here.
To pitch your startup or product to a live audience, check out this link.
Have any fresh products you’d like us to start selling? Check out this link here.
Follow Techpoint Africa’s WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.