Airtel Africa Profit Soars on Strong Revenue Growth

By Babatunji Wusu

Airtel Africa recorded a massive 147.4 per cent rise in net profit last year, driven by stronger revenue growth across its operations in Nigeria and other African markets.

The telecommunications company reported that revenue increased by 29.5 per cent, rising from $5 billion in 2024 to $6.4 billion. The growth came mainly from higher data revenue, which remains the company’s biggest source of income.

The company’s mobile money business also delivered an impressive performance, generating $1.4 billion in revenue. Airtel Africa attributed the strong results to rapid growth in East Africa and Francophone African markets.

As part of its expansion plans, Airtel Africa intends to separate its mobile money division from its core telecom operations. The company had earlier proposed an initial public offering for the unit, but the listing has been delayed until the second half of the year due to market uncertainty linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The planned IPO could raise between $1.5 billion and $2 billion through a possible listing on the London Stock Exchange.

During the financial period, operating profit climbed by 45.1 per cent to $2.1 billion, while the company’s EBITDA margin improved to 49.3 per cent from 46.5 per cent the previous year.

Chief Executive Officer Sunil Tadar said digital innovation and artificial intelligence helped improve efficiency and customer experience across the business.

“Adoption of new digital technologies and AI has been pivotal in unlocking growth opportunities and driving efficiencies,” he said.

The company also revealed that smartphone users increased by 22 per cent to 91 million, helping data traffic rise by almost 50 per cent.

Do you think Airtel Africa’s growing investment in digital technology will strengthen telecom services across Africa?