Airtel Africa Profits Surge 20% to USD 452 Million in H1
Airtel Africa reports a 20.2% jump in half-year profit to USD 452 million, driven by strong data and mobile money growth.
Airtel Africa has reported a significant jump in its financial performance for the half-year ending September 2026, with its profit after tax (PAT) climbing to USD 452 million. This represents a 20.2 per cent increase compared to the USD 376 million recorded during the same period in September 2025.
The company attributed this growth to the continued strength of its underlying operating performance, even as it navigated headwinds such as increased finance costs and a reduction in gains from derivatives and foreign exchange.
Revenue Growth and Segment Performance
The telecom giant saw its reported revenue soar by 28.2 per cent, reaching USD 3,823 million. When adjusted for currency fluctuations, the constant currency revenue expanded by 20.8 per cent.
Growth was evident across multiple business streams:
- Mobile Services: Grew by nearly 19 per cent in constant currency, heavily bolstered by a 28 per cent spike in data revenue.
- Mobile Money: Revenue from this segment increased by 25.8 per cent.
- Operating Profit: Climbed 34.2 per cent to reach USD 1,286 million.
Basic earnings per share also saw an uptick, rising to 10.2 cents from the previous 8.3 cents.
The Airtel Money Milestone
A key highlight of the period was the initial public offering (IPO) of Airtel Money. Sunil Taldar, CEO of Airtel Africa, described the IPO as a "significant milestone" for the Group. He noted that the company has retained its shareholding and remains a long-term strategic investor, positioned to benefit from the future value creation and growth of the mobile money platform.
The financial results included exceptional items totaling USD 55 million, which were linked to IPO expenses and an in-principle settlement within a subsidiary.
Expanding Customer Base and Digital Adoption
Airtel Africa's reach continues to expand, with its total customer base now standing at 193.9 million. The company reported a steady total customer growth rate of 11.6 per cent.
Key User Metrics:
- Data Users: Increased by 15 per cent to 89.9 million.
- Mobile Money Subscribers: Rose by 22.4 per cent to 60.9 million.
- Smartphone Penetration: Now at 51.6 per cent, with monthly data usage per smartphone customer hitting 13.3 GB.
- Transaction Volume: The annualized total processed value for mobile money surged 36.5 per cent to USD 275 billion in the second quarter.
Operational Efficiency and Infrastructure Investment
Despite the inflationary pressure caused by rising fuel costs, the company achieved a record underlying EBITDA margin of 50.4 per cent in Q2'27. CEO Sunil Taldar credited this to operational discipline, scale benefits, and ongoing cost-efficiency programs.
To ensure future growth, Airtel Africa accelerated its network investments. Capital expenditure rose to USD 657 million, facilitating the addition of approximately 4,200 new network sites to enhance service quality and capacity.
Shareholder Returns and Leverage
The company's financial health showed improvement, with leverage dropping to 1.6x from 2.1x. In terms of rewarding its investors, the board declared an interim dividend of 3.1 cents per share—a 9.2 per cent increase. Additionally, the company returned USD 108.7 million to shareholders through share buybacks.