KAMPALA – Airtel Africa has reported a 20.5% increase in profit after tax to US$452 million for the six months ended September 30, 2026, driven by strong growth in data consumption and mobile money services across its markets.
The telecommunications group’s revenue rose by 28.2% in reported currency to US$3.823 billion, representing a 20.8% increase in constant currency.
Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 32.8% to US$1.921 billion, while the EBITDA margin improved by 1.72 percentage points to 50.3%.
The strong financial performance was accompanied by continued expansion of the company’s customer base, which increased by 11.6% to 193.9 million.
Data customers grew by 15% to 89.9 million, while the number of mobile money customers increased by 22.4% to 60.9 million, reflecting rising demand for internet connectivity and digital financial services.
East Africa records strong growth
East Africa, which includes Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia, recorded revenue of US$1.777 billion during the reporting period.
This represented growth of 18.2% in constant currency and 24.8% in reported currency.
The region’s customer base expanded by 8% to 88.8 million, while data customers increased by 15.2% to 39.5 million.
Data revenue in the region registered particularly strong growth of 26% in constant currency, highlighting the increasing demand for internet access and digital services across East African markets.
The performance underscores the growing importance of data services to Airtel Africa’s business, particularly as more customers adopt smartphones and increase their consumption of digital content and services.
Data and mobile money drive performance
At group level, data revenue increased by 28% in constant currency, supported by rising smartphone adoption and higher data consumption.
Smartphone penetration reached 51.6%, while average monthly data usage per smartphone customer increased to 13.3GB, up from 10.1GB in the corresponding prior period.
Mobile money also remained a major contributor to the group’s growth, with revenue increasing by 25.8% in constant currency.
The business recorded a 22.4% increase in customers to 60.9 million, reflecting the continued adoption of mobile financial services across Airtel Africa’s markets.
The annualised total processed value (TPV) of mobile money transactions reached US$275 billion in the second quarter of the financial year, representing growth of 36.5%.
The figures point to the expanding role of mobile money in facilitating payments, money transfers and other financial transactions, particularly in markets where access to traditional banking services remains limited.
Airtel Money listing marks strategic milestone
In another major development, Airtel Money was admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on October 14, 2026.
Airtel Africa retained a 77.85% stake in the mobile money business, maintaining its position as a long-term strategic shareholder as the subsidiary pursues its expansion ambitions.
The listing marks a significant milestone in the group’s efforts to strengthen its financial services business and unlock further opportunities for growth.
Commenting on the results, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said the company had delivered another strong operating and financial performance during the first half of the financial year.
“Over the first half we have delivered another strong operating and financial performance, reflecting the depth of underlying demand across our markets and consistent execution of our strategy, with total customer growth remaining strong and stable at 11.6%,” Taldar said.
He said the group’s growth prospects remained strong, supported by favourable demographic and economic trends, increasing demand for data and financial services, and rising smartphone adoption.
Taldar added that smartphones on the company’s network had increased to more than 100 million, providing significant room for further growth.
Airtel Africa said it would continue investing in network capacity, improving customer experience and expanding access to digital connectivity and financial services across its operating markets.
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