Bharti Airtel's planned disposal of mobile phone towers in Africa will see it sell masts in Tanzania to Helios Towers, while units in Malawi will go to Eaton Towers, a person with knowledge of the deal said on Wednesday, Reports Reuters.

The Tanzania sale will include about 1,000 towers, said the source, who declined to be identified because the deal has not been concluded.

Bharti has said it would sell 3,500 towers across six African countries to Eaton, and 3,100 masts in four countries to Helios. It has not given details on the countries involved.

In September, South Africa's MTN, sold some 9,100 Nigerian towers to a new joint venture with IHS.