His final message captured the essential spirit required for Africa’s ascent: “SATNAC is challenging us and continues to challenge us to think boldly, collaborate deeply, and innovate responsibly. And at IHS Towers, we are up for that challenge.”
He concluded with a vision of the attainable future:
“If we collaborate, if we innovate, and we commit to sustainability, then the digital future of South Africa and the continent will not only be brighter, but fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient.”
The message was clear: the steel towers his company builds are merely the vessel.
The real infrastructure being built is one of partnership, intention, and inclusive design, a foundation built in forums like SATNAC and essential for a prosperous Africa.
Representing a company with over 37,000 towers across the continent, Msimango began by redefining this physical infrastructure as an engine of societal progress.
“When most people look at a telecoms tower, they see a very tall steel structure, silent, stoic, still. But for those of us in the industry, we know different,” he stated.
Base Station Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/signal-tower-579471/
“We know that a tower is not merely a piece of infrastructure. It’s a gateway to opportunity, to inclusion, to economic growth, to safety, to education, to innovation.”
He fdefined this network as the “scaffolding of possibility,” measuring its value not in steel or kilowatts, but in human outcomes: a child accessing e-learning, a farmer using IoT sensors, or a job-seeker submitting a CV online. This impact, however, is hindered by a persistent digital divide:, a “social and economic fault line”, and the paradoxical reality of infrastructure that serves communities but often requires protection from them.
To transcend these challenges and realise his closing vision, Msimango outlined a necessary triad of action.
It requires a relentless shift to sustainable, climate-resilient tower sites powered by renewables and ready for 5G and IoT. It demands accelerated infrastructure sharing to lower costs and expand coverage affordably. Most critically, it needs an ecosystem of collaboration far stronger than today’s.
“Telecom infrastructure has never been a solo endeavor,” Msimango emphasised, calling for strengthened partnerships between government, operators, communities, the energy sector, and investors.
“Together we can architect a digital ecosystem that reflects the aspirations of our country and the continent.”
By linking the tangible goal of connectivity to the intangible process of collaboration championed by SATNAC, Msimango’s address underscored that Africa’s digital ascent will be built not just on towers of steel, but on a stronger foundation of shared purpose and responsible innovation.
