Airtel Africa has reported strong financial and operational growth for the financial year ending March 31, 2026, driven by rising data consumption, expanding mobile money services, and increased digital adoption across its markets.
The telecommunications company said its customer base grew by 10.5 percent to 183.5 million subscribers, marking the highest net customer additions in the company’s history. Data customers increased by 14.8 percent to 84.2 million, supported by rising smartphone penetration, which climbed to 49.5 percent.
The company said growing demand for internet services pushed average monthly data usage per customer to 8.9GB, up from 7.0GB recorded in the previous financial year. This contributed to a 16.2 percent increase in data average revenue per user (ARPU) in constant currency terms.
Airtel Africa’s mobile money business also registered strong growth during the period. Airtel Money customers rose by 21.3 percent to 54.1 million users, while annualised total processed transaction value grew by 49 percent to more than $215 billion during the fourth quarter of the financial year.
The company attributed the growth to wider use cases, increased digital adoption, and deeper customer engagement across its financial services ecosystem. Airtel Money ARPU increased by 8.6 percent in constant currency, highlighting the growing importance of digital financial services within the group.
Financial results released by the company show that revenue grew by 29.5 percent to $6.4 billion, while constant currency revenue growth stood at 24 percent. Nigeria and Francophone Africa were among the strongest-performing regions, posting constant currency growth of 47.5 percent and 17.1 percent respectively.
Data revenue, now the largest contributor to group earnings, increased by 35.2 percent, while mobile money revenue rose by 28.4 percent during the financial year.
The company also recorded improved profitability, with underlying EBITDA margins rising to 49.3 percent, reaching an all-time high of 50.3 percent in the fourth quarter. Underlying EBITDA increased by 37.2 percent to $3.16 billion.
Profit after tax rose sharply to $813 million from $328 million recorded in the previous year, supported by stronger operating performance and gains from foreign exchange and derivative transactions.
Basic earnings per share increased to 18.6 cents from 6.0 cents a year earlier.
As part of its expansion strategy, Airtel Africa increased capital expenditure by 31.9 percent to $884 million. During the year, the company rolled out more than 3,250 new network sites and expanded its fibre network by about 3,200 kilometres to approximately 81,900 kilometres.
The telecom giant said it plans to further increase investment in the next financial year, with capital expenditure projected at about $1.1 billion. The investment will focus on expanding network coverage and capacity, as well as growing home broadband and data centre infrastructure.
The company also reported improved debt levels, with leverage reducing from 2.3 times to 1.8 times due to stronger earnings growth.
Airtel Africa’s Board recommended a final dividend of 4.26 cents per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to 7.1 cents per share, representing a 9.2 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said the performance reflected strong industry fundamentals and the company’s continued investment in digital technologies and customer experience.
“This year delivered a very strong performance across both operating and financial metrics, reflecting the attractive industry fundamentals and structural growth drivers across our footprint,” Taldar said.
He added that the adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies had helped improve operational efficiency, customer onboarding, and network optimisation while accelerating use of the myAirtel app.
Taldar also confirmed that Airtel Africa remains committed to listing Airtel Money through an initial public offering, although recent geopolitical developments have delayed the anticipated timeline. The company now expects the IPO to take place in the second half of 2026, subject to market conditions.
Despite strong growth, the company warned that rising global energy costs linked to geopolitical developments could increase operational expenses and place pressure on margins in the near term.
