• Econet InfraCo expands beyond telecom towers with power and property becoming core growth pillars
• Company deployed 90 new base stations and advanced its 100MW solar project during the quarter.
• First VFEX trading update highlights a capital intensive growth strategy with 17% of revenue reinvested into infrastructure.

Harare  - Econet Infrastructure Company Limited says it is accelerating investment across telecom infrastructure, renewable energy and commercial property after deploying 90 new base stations, advancing a 100MW solar project and progressing two flagship property developments in its first trading update since listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, positioning the business to generate earnings from multiple infrastructure assets instead of relying predominantly on tower rentals.

The trading update for the quarter ended 31 May 2026  gives investors the first operational assessment of the company following its introduction to the VFEX earlier this year. InfraCo was created after the separation of infrastructure assets from Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and combines three vertically integrated businesses comprising telecommunications towers, power infrastructure and property development.

“The business operates as a fully integrated infrastructure platform, bringing together three complementary, vertically aligned business pillars: Tower Infrastructure (TowerCo), Power Infrastructure & Services (PowerCo) and Property Holdings (PropertyCo),” the company said.

The structure expands the company’s earnings opportunities beyond traditional passive tower leasing into energy infrastructure and real estate, sectors that carry longer investment cycles and diversified revenue streams.

Management identified infrastructure expansion as the principal operating priority during the quarter after deploying 90 additional base stations to strengthen network capacity while pursuing a capital efficient co location strategy that allows multiple tenants to utilise the same tower infrastructure. Co location increases returns on existing assets because each additional tenant expands revenue without requiring proportional capital expenditure on new sites.

The power business emerged as the strongest long term growth platform. InfraCo continued deploying solar systems across telecommunications sites while progressing construction of its planned 100MW solar facility, which management expects to supply renewable electricity to developments within the Econet TechCity ecosystem. The company also expanded its Energy as a Service offering beyond telecommunications, widening its addressable market into commercial and industrial customers seeking alternative electricity solutions.

The strategy moves InfraCo into one of Zimbabwe’s fastest expanding infrastructure markets. Electricity shortages, rising diesel costs and increasing corporate investment in energy security have shifted power infrastructure from a support function into a standalone commercial opportunity.

According to the company, geopolitical developments affecting global fuel markets strengthened the commercial case for accelerating solar deployment as businesses seek to reduce diesel dependence and improve operating resilience.

InfraCo said artificial intelligence has become embedded in its operating model through predictive generator maintenance, fuel consumption optimisation, remote monitoring and digital twin technologies. These technologies improve infrastructure availability, reduce maintenance costs and strengthen asset utilisation, demonstrating that management is pursuing productivity improvements alongside physical expansion.

Property development also progressed during the quarter. Management reported steady rental performance across the existing portfolio while preparing to commence construction at TechCity Harare and Victoria Falls Lifestyle Villas during the third quarter after receiving expressions of interest across both developments. The projects extend InfraCo’s asset base beyond telecommunications into income producing commercial and residential property.

Capital allocation also provides an early indication of management’s priorities. The company reinvested 17% of revenue into capital projects during the quarter, signalling that management remains focused on expanding infrastructure capacity ahead of maximising near term cash distributions. For an infrastructure business operating across assets with long economic lives, sustained reinvestment today expands the future base from which recurring rental, energy and property income will be generated.

The update contains no comparable financial performance because this represents the company’s inaugural trading update following its VFEX listing, with detailed interim financial results expected after the period ending 31 August 2026. Investors therefore received strategy and operational execution indicators instead of earnings metrics.

The update establishes the direction of the business more clearly than its immediate financial performance. InfraCo is building three complementary infrastructure platforms where telecommunications towers create recurring lease income, renewable energy expands utility revenues and commercial property provides long term rental and development returns. Successful execution across those businesses would progressively reduce dependence on a single infrastructure asset class and reposition the company as one of Zimbabwe’s few diversified infrastructure investment platforms.

Equity Axis News