Strong Financial Performance and Strategic Growth
Airtel Africa Plc has delivered a robust half-year performance for the period ending September 30, 2025. The company reported a significant increase in profit after tax, reaching $376 million compared to $79 million in the same period last year. This growth was primarily driven by strong performance in data and mobile money services.
Revenue for the period increased by 24.5 percent in constant currency, reaching $2.98 billion. Additionally, the customer base expanded by 11 percent, growing to 173.8 million. This expansion highlights the company’s continued success in attracting and retaining users across its markets.
Expansion in Data Services
Data subscribers saw an impressive rise of 18.4 percent, reaching 78.1 million. This growth translated into a 37 percent increase in data revenue, which now stands at $1.16 billion. Data revenue has become the largest income stream for the group, underscoring the importance of digital services in Airtel’s business model.
Smartphone penetration also increased, reaching 46.8 percent. This shift has contributed to a 16.8 percent rise in data ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), indicating that customers are increasingly willing to spend on higher-value data packages.
Growth in Mobile Money Services
Airtel Money, the company’s mobile financial services platform, continued to expand its reach. Customer numbers rose by 20 percent, reaching 49.8 million. The annualised transaction value for Airtel Money reached $193 billion, reflecting a 35.9 percent increase from the previous year.
This growth in mobile money services is a key component of Airtel’s strategy to enhance financial inclusion across the continent. By providing accessible and secure digital financial solutions, the company is helping millions of people gain better access to banking services.
Improved Profitability and Dividend
The company’s EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) grew by 33.2 percent, reaching $1.45 billion. This improvement in profitability lifted margins to 48.5 percent, demonstrating the efficiency of Airtel’s operations.
In addition, the board declared an interim dividend of 2.84 cents per share, representing a 9.2 percent increase from the previous year. This decision reflects the company’s confidence in its financial health and its commitment to rewarding shareholders.
Leadership Vision and Future Plans
Sunil Taldar, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, emphasized that the strong results reflect the company’s focus on customer experience, innovation, and network expansion. “Our strong performance gives us the confidence to invest further and capture the full potential across our markets,” he said.
Looking ahead, Airtel has raised its 2026 capital expenditure (capex) guidance to between $875 million and $900 million. This increase underscores the company’s commitment to accelerating investments in digital infrastructure and financial inclusion.
Preparations for Airtel Money IPO
Airtel has also reaffirmed that preparations for the Airtel Money IPO remain on track for a listing in the first half of 2026. This move is expected to provide additional capital to support the company’s growth initiatives and further strengthen its position in the digital financial services market.
Taldar added that the group will continue pursuing incremental margin improvements and network upgrades “to drive long-term value creation, subject to macroeconomic stability.”
Key Highlights
- Profit after taxincreased to $376 million from $79 million.
- Revenuerose by 24.5 percent in constant currency to $2.98 billion.
- Customer basegrew by 11 percent to 173.8 million.
- Data subscribersincreased by 18.4 percent to 78.1 million.
- Airtel Moneycustomers rose by 20 percent to 49.8 million.
- EBITDAgrew by 33.2 percent to $1.45 billion.
- Dividenddeclared at 2.84 cents per share, up 9.2 percent.