LONDON: Airtel Africa plc reported a 9% jump in its customer base to 169.4 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2025, driven by double-digit gains in data and mobile money services across its markets.
Data customers grew 17.4% to 75.6 million, with 45.9% smartphone penetration fueling a 47.4% surge in data usage. Data ARPU rose 18.5% in constant currency, underscoring demand amid continued investment in digital connectivity. The group added over 2,300 new sites and expanded its fibre footprint by 2,700 km, boosting 4G population coverage to 74.7%.
Mobile money usage accelerated, with 45.8 million customers—a 16.1% rise—contributing to a 35% jump in annualized transaction value to $162 billion. Airtel Money ARPU rose 11.3% in constant currency as diversified use cases gained traction.
Revenue climbed 24.9% in constant currency to $1.415 billion, aided by tariff adjustments in Nigeria and growth momentum in Francophone Africa. EBITDA rose 29.8% to $679 million, with margins up to 48% from 45.3% in the prior period.
Profit after tax stood at $156 million versus $31 million last year, supported by currency gains and margin expansion. EPS before exceptional items rose to 3.4 cents.
CEO Sunil Taldar cited “relentless focus on digitisation” and tech innovations like Airtel Spam Alert, an AI-driven network safety tool, as key strategic differentiators. Capex guidance remained at $725–$750 million for FY25, while debt localization efforts brought 95% of operating company debt into local currencies.