Airtel Africa has delivered one of its strongest financial performances in recent years, driven by rapid growth in data consumption, expanding smartphone usage, and the continued scale-up of its mobile money business across key African markets.
For the financial year ended 31 March 2026, the telecoms group reported significant increases in revenue, profit, and customer base, reflecting deepening digital adoption in markets such as Nigeria and Francophone Africa, where Airtel continues to position data services and financial technology as core growth pillars.
The company’s customer base expanded by 10.5 per cent to 183.5 million, marking its highest net additions to date. A major driver of this growth was increased data adoption, with data customers rising by 14.8 per cent to 84.2 million.
Smartphone penetration also climbed to 49.5 per cent, representing a 4.7 per cent increase over the period. This shift supported stronger engagement across Airtel’s digital services, with average data usage per customer rising to 8.9 GB per month, up from 7.0 GB previously.
As a result, data revenue has now become the group’s largest revenue stream, with constant currency growth of 35.2 per cent, highlighting how central connectivity demand has become to Airtel Africa’s business model.
Airtel Money also reinforced its role as a key pillar of the company’s digital strategy. The platform’s customer base grew by 21.3 per cent to 54.1 million users, supported by increased usage across payments, transfers, and other financial services.
The total value processed through the platform rose sharply, with annualised transaction value (TPV) climbing 49 per cent to more than $215 billion in the fourth quarter of FY 2026.
This expansion translated into stronger monetisation, with Airtel Money ARPU rising by 8.6 per cent in constant currency, reflecting deeper customer engagement and growing trust in the platform as a digital financial services ecosystem.
Revenue and profit growth
Airtel Africa recorded a 24.0 per cent increase in constant currency revenue for FY 2026, while reported revenue rose 29.5 per cent to $6.415 billion.
Growth was particularly in Nigeria and Francophone Africa, where constant currency revenues increased by 47.5 per cent and 17.1 per cent respectively.
Mobile services revenue rose 22.6 per cent overall, while underlying EBITDA increased by 30.4 per cent in constant currency. The company also reported EBITDA margins of 49.3 per cent for the year, peaking at 50.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, supported by operational efficiencies and tariff adjustments in Nigeria.
Profit after tax increased to $813 million, compared to $328 million in the previous period. The improvement was driven by stronger operating profit and a shift from foreign exchange losses in the prior year to derivative and FX gains of $127 million.
Earnings per share rose significantly to 18.6 cents from 6.0 cents a year earlier, reflecting improved profitability and stronger financial performance across the group.
Investment in network and digital infrastructure
Capital expenditure rose by 31.9 per cent to $884 million during the year, in line with revised guidance. Airtel Africa expanded its infrastructure footprint significantly, rolling out more than 3,250 new network sites and extending its fibre network by approximately 3,200 kilometres to reach 81,900 kilometres.
Looking ahead, the company has set capital expenditure guidance at around $1.1 billion for FY 2027, with increased investment planned for network expansion, home broadband, and data centres to support rising digital demand.
Commenting on the performance, Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer,Airtel Africa, said the results reflected strong industry fundamentals and the company’s sustained execution of its digital-first strategy.
He noted that the accelerated adoption of digital tools and artificial intelligence has improved customer experience, streamlined onboarding processes, and supported the expansion of Airtel’s digital platforms, including the myAirtel app.
Taldar also highlighted the 22 per cent growth in smartphone customers to 91 million and a near 50 per cent increase in data traffic as key indicators of the company’s expanding digital footprint.
While acknowledging near-term cost pressures, particularly from rising energy prices, he said the company remains focused on efficiency improvements and long-term growth opportunities across its markets.
He added that Airtel Money continues to show strong momentum, with app-based transacting customers rising by 74 per cent and total transaction value surpassing $215 billion in the fourth quarter alone.
“Our accelerated investment strategy remains focused on scaling core growth businesses while expanding into new areas such as enterprise services to further drive digital and financial inclusion across our markets,” he said.
Taldar also expressed appreciation to customers, regulators, governments, and employees for their continued support in driving the company’s performance across Africa.
