Airtel Africa’s Half-Year Profit Surges Over 375% as Data and Mobile Money Drive Growth

 Lagos, Nigeria – 28 October 2025

Airtel Africa Plc has posted a sharp rise in profits for the half-year ended 30 September 2025, buoyed by strong growth in its data and mobile money segments and gains from currency appreciation across its markets.

The telecommunications group reported a profit after tax of $376 million, a significant jump from $79 million a year earlier — a 375% increase. Revenue climbed 25.8% in reported currency to $2.98 billion, supported by sustained demand for data services and expanding digital engagement through the myAirtel app.

Data revenue surged 37% in constant currency, reaching $1.16 billion, overtaking voice as Airtel’s largest revenue contributor. Mobile money operations also showed robust growth, up 30.2%, with the customer base rising 20% to 49.8 million. Annualised total processed value surpassed $193 billion, reflecting the firm’s focus on deepening financial inclusion across its 14 operating countries.

Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar described the results as evidence of the company’s ongoing digital transformation and operational discipline.

“Our strategy has been focused on providing a superior customer experience and driving digital innovation,” he said. “The strong growth in both our data and Airtel Money platforms highlights the success of our customer-focused initiatives.”

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 33.2% to $1.45 billion, pushing margins up to 48.5% from 45.8% a year earlier. Airtel’s leverage ratio improved to 2.1x, with 95% of its operating company debt now denominated in local currency as part of its debt localisation drive.

The board declared an interim dividend of 2.84 cents per share, an increase of 9.2%, and confirmed that the ongoing $100 million share buy-back programme is on track to be completed by March 2026. Capital expenditure remained steady at $318 million, though Airtel raised its full-year capex guidance to between $875 million and $900 million to support network expansion and digital infrastructure growth.

During the period, the company rolled out 2,350 new sites, expanding its total to over 38,300, with 98.5% of them now 4G-enabled. Fibre coverage increased by 4,000 kilometres to over 81,000 kilometres, extending population coverage to 81.5% across its African markets.

Airtel’s customer base rose 11% to 173.8 million, with smartphone penetration improving to 46.8%. Average revenue per user (ARPU) also grew 14.8%, driven by increased data usage and stronger customer engagement.

Taldar reaffirmed that Airtel Money’s planned initial public offering (IPO) remains on course for the first half of 2026, noting that the unit’s performance continues to “gain momentum and scale”.

Airtel Africa operates in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, providing mobile voice, data, and digital financial services to millions of customers.