Airtel Africa Reports 24.5% Revenue Surge, Strengthens Digital and Fintech Leadership Across Africa

Airtel Africa Plc has announced a strong set of results for the half-year ended September 30, 2025, reaffirming its strategic focus on customer experience, digital innovation, and network expansion as key drivers of growth. The telecommunications giant reported a 24.5% increase in revenue (constant currency) to $2.98 billion, marking another milestone in its journey to deepen digital and financial inclusion across its 14 operating markets.

According to the results released on Tuesday, Airtel’s customer base grew by 11% to reach 173.8 million, reflecting accelerating adoption across all segments. The company’s data customers rose sharply by 18.4% to 78.1 million, supported by a 3.8% increase in smartphone penetration to 46.8%. Data now accounts for a larger share of revenue than voice, with data revenues surging 37.0% to $1.16 billion, fueled by a 45% rise in data traffic across the network.

The company’s digital innovation push continues to yield impressive outcomes. The MyAirtel app has gained significant traction as part of Airtel’s drive to enhance user experience, while the Airtel Spam Alert feature underscores its commitment to customer protection and service excellence.

Airtel Money, the fintech arm of the group, recorded another period of robust growth, expanding its customer base by 20% to 49.8 million. The platform’s annualised total processed value (TPV) surpassed $193 billion, up 35.9% year-on-year, demonstrating strong engagement and rising digital adoption across Africa. Average revenue per user (ARPU) for Airtel Money rose 11% in constant currency, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for financial inclusion.

“Our strategy has been focused on providing a superior customer experience, and the strength of these results is testament to the initiatives we have been implementing across the business,” said Sunil Taldar, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa. “The growing adoption of our MyAirtel app and Airtel Money reflects the success of our digital innovation strategy as we deepen engagement and simplify the customer journey.”

Taldar added that the company remains on course to list Airtel Money in the first half of 2026, underscoring management’s confidence in the platform’s growth trajectory.

Sustained Network Investments Driving Growth
To support its expanding user base, Airtel Africa continued heavy investments in network infrastructure. The company rolled out over 2,350 new sites, expanding its total footprint to 38,300 sites, while extending its fibre network by 4,000km to 81,000km. As a result, total population coverage rose to 81.5%, with 98.5% of all sites now 4G-enabled, enhancing capacity and reliability across its markets.

Financial Highlights

• Revenue: $2.98 billion (+24.5% constant currency, +25.8% reported currency)
• EBITDA: $1.45 billion (+33.2%), with margins expanding to 48.5%
• Profit After Tax: $376 million, up from $79 million in 2024 (+375%)
• Basic EPS: 8.3 cents (from 0.8 cents in 2024)
• Operating Profit: $959 million (+35.9%)
• Operating Free Cash Flow: $1.13 billion (+46.5%)

The company’s mobile services revenue rose 23.1%, driven by 13.2% growth in voice and a 37.0% increase in data revenues, while mobile money revenues grew 30.2% in constant currency.

EBITDA margins climbed to 49.0% in Q2 2026, from 46.4% a year earlier, reflecting stronger operational efficiency and sustained cost optimization. The improvement in the Nigerian naira and CFA franc also contributed to a $90 million FX gain in the period, boosting profit.

Stronger Balance Sheet and Shareholder Returns
Airtel Africa’s leverage improved from 2.3x to 2.1x, supported by a stronger EBITDA performance and ongoing debt localization efforts. About 95% of OpCo debt (excluding lease liabilities) is now denominated in local currencies, up from 89% a year ago.

The company announced an interim dividend of 2.84 cents per share, representing a 9.2% increase, consistent with its progressive dividend policy. The $100 million share buy-back programme remains on track to conclude by March 31, 2026.

Capital expenditure for the period stood at $318 million, with FY2026 capex guidance raised to between $875 million and $900 million, as Airtel accelerates investments to capture growth opportunities in high-demand data and mobile money markets.

“The strong performance gives us the confidence to increase our capex guidance as we accelerate our investments to capture the full potential across our markets and deliver long-term value for all stakeholders,” Taldar affirmed.

Airtel Africa Plc reports a strong half-year performance with 24.5% revenue growth, rising data and fintech revenues, and higher profit. CEO Sunil Taldar says the group is accelerating investments to deepen digital and financial inclusion across Africa.