By Alfred Zacharia
Airtel Africa has reported strong growth for the nine
months ended 31 December 2025, underpinned by rising data usage, smartphone
adoption, and mobile money expansion across its 14-country footprint in
sub-Saharan Africa.
The telecom operator posted revenue of $4.667 billion,
a 28.3% increase in reported currency terms and 24.6% in constant currency.
Operating profit jumped 41.3% to $1.526 billion, while
profit after tax more than doubled to $586 million from $248 million in the
same period last year.
Basic earnings per share rose to 13.1 cents from 4.4
cents, reflecting strong operational performance alongside gains from foreign
exchange and derivatives.
Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said, “These
results demonstrate the strength of our strategy and the growth potential
across our markets. We are accelerating investment to expand coverage, enhance
data capacity, and strengthen our fibre network. Coupled with innovative
partnerships and digitisation, we are creating a seamless experience for our
customers and unlocking significant opportunities.”
Airtel Africa’s total subscriber base reached 179.4
million, up 10% year-on-year, while data subscribers rose 14.6% to 81.8
million.
Smartphone penetration climbed to 48.1%, supporting
strong data revenue growth of 36.5%.
Average data usage per customer increased to 8.6GB per
month from 6.9GB, contributing to a 16.6% rise in data ARPU in constant
currency.
Voice revenue also grew 13.5%, while mobile services
overall rose 23.3% in constant currency.
Mobile money operations continued to scale
impressively.
Airtel Money surpassed the 50 million user milestone
to reach 52 million subscribers, while annualised total processed value (TPV)
for Q3 2026 topped $210 billion, up 36% from the prior period.
“The expansion of Airtel Money reflects our commitment
to driving financial inclusion across Africa. Our merchant and agent ecosystem,
combined with increasing digital adoption, underpins the growth in both
transaction volume and ARPU, which rose 9.8% in constant currency,” Taldar
said.
EBITDA climbed 35.9% to $2.283 billion, with margins
expanding to 48.9% from 46.2% in the prior period.
Sequential quarterly growth pushed margins to 49.6%,
driven by disciplined cost efficiency programs and strong revenue performance.
Operating free cash flow increased 37.2% to $1.68
billion, while net cash generated from operating activities rose to $2.306
billion, up 42.1%.
Capital expenditure accelerated to $603 million, a
32.2% increase from the previous period, supporting network expansion and
enhanced connectivity.
The company rolled out roughly 2,500 new sites and
extended its fibre network by 4,000 km, bringing total coverage to over 81,500
km.
Population coverage reached 81.7%, up 0.6 percentage
points from a year earlier.
Taldar highlighted the role of technology and
digitisation in supporting customer experience and growth.
“Embedding AI in our operations, expanding high-speed
broadband, and integrating GSM and Airtel Money services positions us to meet
the rising demand for reliable connectivity and financial services across our
markets. We remain on track for the listing of Airtel Money in the first half
of 2026,” he said.
The results reflect Airtel Africa’s ability to
capitalise on rising smartphone adoption, growing data consumption, and
increasing financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa.
With robust revenue growth, improving EBITDA margins,
and a strong mobile money platform, the company is well-positioned to capture
further growth opportunities in the region’s rapidly digitising markets.