Airtel Africa has posted strong financial and operational results for the period ended December 31, 2025, with its total customer base rising by 10 per cent to 179.4 million, underscoring the success of its customer-focused growth strategy.
The telecoms group attributed the performance to sustained investment in network expansion, increased digitisation, and new strategic partnerships, which together have strengthened operating momentum across its markets.
Group revenues climbed to $4.67 billion, representing a 24.6 per cent increase in constant currency and a 28.3 per cent rise in reported currency terms. The performance was bolstered by currency appreciation, which amplified the company’s strong underlying fundamentals. During the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, Airtel Africa recorded constant-currency revenue growth of 24.7 per cent, translating into a 32.9 per cent increase in reported currency.
Profit after tax more than doubled to $586 million, up from $248 million in the previous period. The improvement was driven by stronger operating profits, alongside derivative and foreign exchange gains of $99 million, compared with losses of $153 million recorded a year earlier.
Mobile services revenue grew by 23.3 per cent in constant currency. Data services remained the largest contributor to group revenues, surging by 36.5 per cent, while voice revenues increased by 13.5 per cent. Mobile money services also maintained strong momentum, recording a 29.4 per cent rise in constant currency.
In East Africa, revenues grew to $1.62 billion, reflecting an 18.2 per cent increase in reported currency and a 14.4 per cent rise in constant currency terms. The stronger reported growth was largely due to appreciation of regional currencies, including the Zambian kwacha, Ugandan shilling, and Tanzanian shilling. Voice revenues in the region expanded by 13.7 per cent, while data revenues rose by 18 per cent.
Voice revenue growth was supported by a 9.5 per cent expansion in the customer base and a 3.1 per cent increase in average revenue per user (ARPU), driven by wider network coverage and an expanded distribution footprint. Meanwhile, data revenues benefited from a 15.9 per cent increase in data customers and a 48.1 per cent jump in data usage.
Airtel Africa continued to invest heavily in network infrastructure, expanding its 4G and 5G footprint across the region. More than 2,000 sites are now 5G-enabled across four key markets. Average data consumption per customer rose to 7.6 gigabytes per month, up 25.3 per cent, while smartphone penetration increased to 45.2 per cent. Smartphone users consumed an average of 9.4 gigabytes per month, compared with 7.6 gigabytes in the previous period.
Commenting on the results, Airtel Africa Group Chief Executive Officer Sunil Tadar said the performance reflected the strength of the company’s strategy and disciplined execution. He noted that accelerated investment in network coverage, data capacity, and fibre infrastructure, combined with innovative partnerships, was enhancing the customer experience and positioning the company to capture long-term growth opportunities.
Tadar added that digitisation, technology innovation, and the integration of artificial intelligence into operations were improving service delivery and enabling closer integration between GSM services and Airtel Money. Smartphone adoption continues to rise, while the company’s home broadband business is gaining traction amid growing demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity.
Financial inclusion remains a key pillar of Airtel Africa’s strategy. The company’s mobile money customer base expanded to 52 million, surpassing the 50 million mark, with annualised transaction values exceeding $210 billion in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Airtel Africa reaffirmed that it remains on track to list Airtel Money in the first half of 2026.
Strong revenue growth, coupled with tight cost control, helped lift the company’s quarterly EBITDA margin to 49.6 per cent, supporting constant-currency EBITDA growth of 31 per cent. The group said it remains focused on further margin improvements while continuing to invest in connectivity, expand financial inclusion, and enhance customer experience.
“These results reinforce our confidence in the long-term potential of our markets and our ability to create value for all stakeholders,” Tadar said.
