Airtel Africa Plc has recorded strong profitability for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, with pretax profit rising 114.67% year-on-year to $1.41 billion.
This performance was supported by revenue growth to $6.4 billion from $4.9 billion, driven mainly by data revenue of $2.5 billion and voice revenue of $2.3 billion.
In addition, mobile money contributed $1.08 billion to revenue, while other business segments accounted for the remaining share of the company’s topline performance.
This was supported by an expanding customer base, which grew by 10.5% to 183.5 million, with data customers rising to 84.2 million as smartphone penetration improved by 4.7% to 49.5%.
Commenting on the performance, Sunil Taldar, Chief Executive Officer, said, “Adoption of new digital technologies and AI has been pivotal in unlocking growth opportunities and driving efficiencies” across operations.
Key highlights (Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025)
Revenue: $6.4 billion, up 29.47% YoY
Expenses: $4.3 billion, up 22.93% YoY
Operating profit: $2.1 billion, up 45.16% YoY
Pretax profit: $1.4 billion, up 114.67% YoY
Post-tax profit: $813 million, up 147.87% YoY
Total assets: $13.9 billion, up 16.14% YoY
Reserves and surplus: $1.3 billion vs $651 million
Driving the numbers
A closer look at the topline shows full-year revenue of $6.4 billion, with East Africa mobile services contributing the largest share at $2.1 billion.
- Nigeria mobile services followed with $1.59 billion, outperforming Francophone Africa mobile services, which generated $1.54 billion.
- Mobile money accounted for the remaining $1.08 billion, rounding off the group’s diversified revenue streams.
Among key revenue drivers, data sales rose to $2.5 billion from $1.8 billion, with East Africa contributing $930 million, Nigeria $820 million, and Francophone Africa $780 million, reflecting its growing importance in the business mix.
- According to the company, data demand remained robust, with average usage per customer increasing to 8.9 GB monthly from 7.0 GB previously.
Voice revenue also strengthened to $2.3 billion from $1.9 billion, supported by East Africa at $1.06 billion, Francophone Africa at $638 million, and Nigeria at $613 million.
- Mobile money continued its upward trajectory, rising to $1.08 billion from $770 million in the previous year, reflecting deeper financial inclusion.
After these revenue segments were reported, total expenses of $4.3 billion were accounted for, including network operating costs of $1.1 billion and depreciation of $1.04 billion, resulting in operating profit of $2.1 billion, up 45.16% year-on-year.
Down the line, pretax profit stood at $1.4 billion after net foreign exchange losses of $149 million, hyperinflationary losses of $17 million, and other expenses.
Post-tax profit then settled at $813 million from $328 million after income tax of $606 million, while earnings per share increased to 18.6 cents from 6.0 cents, reflecting the group’s improved bottom-line performance.
