Airtel Africa H1 Revenue Rises 20.8% on Data Growth

Airtel Africa’s revenue grew by 20.8% in constant currency to $3,823 million for the half year ended September 30, 2026, according to a recent filing. This growth was fueled by a 28.0% increase in data revenue and a 25.8% rise in mobile money revenue, demonstrating the company’s success in capitalizing on increasing data demand and financial inclusion across its African markets.

The company’s total customer base expanded by 11.6% to 193.9 million, with data customers growing by 15% to 89.9 million and mobile money customers increasing by 22.4% to 60.9 million. Data ARPU also saw a significant increase of 10.7%, indicating the company’s ability to effectively monetize its growing data customer base. Underlying EBITDA margins remained resilient at 50.3%, reaching an all-time high of 50.4% in the second quarter – a 144 bps increase over the previous period.

Profit after tax reached $452 million, an improvement from $376 million in the prior period, despite higher finance costs and lower foreign exchange gains. The Board has declared an interim dividend of 3.1 cents per share, a 9.2% increase, and returned $108.7 million to shareholders through a share buyback program. Capital expenditure doubled to $657 million, reflecting a commitment to network investment and expansion.

The company's strong performance is set against a backdrop of increasing fuel costs and geopolitical tensions, which have impacted businesses across various sectors. Airtel Africa's ability to maintain profitability and expand its customer base in this environment underscores its strategic focus on data and mobile money services. Leverage has improved to 1.6x, with lease-adjusted leverage at 0.5x, indicating a strengthening financial position.