Airtel Africa has expanded its total subscriber base to 193.9 million users across 14 operating markets.
The telecom operator announced the milestone in its financial results for the half year ended September 30, 2026. Strong regional demand for mobile broadband and digital cash transfers fueled the expansion.
Airtel Africa data revenue jumped 28 percent in constant currency, cementing internet services as the primary engine of corporate growth.
Overall reported revenue reached $3.82 billion for the six-month period, representing an increase of 28.2 percent. In constant currency, group revenue rose by 20.8 percent.
Smartphone Boom Drives Internet Consumption
Widespread device upgrades helped accelerate internet usage across the continent.
Smartphone penetration reached 51.6 percent across the network, up from previous reporting periods. The company’s dedicated data customer base expanded by 15 percent to reach 89.9 million active users.
Subscribers also consumed far more data per connection. Average monthly usage per smartphone user climbed to 13.3 gigabytes, up from 10.1 gigabytes a year earlier.
Average revenue per data user increased by 10.7 percent in constant currency. Management noted that continuous network upgrades allowed the business to turn rising bandwidth traffic into sustainable earnings.
Financial Services Fuel Ecosystem Expansion
Digital payment services delivered equally rapid gains across Central, East, and West Africa.
Active mobile money customers grew by 22.4 percent, reaching 60.9 million accounts. Segment revenue climbed by 25.8 percent in constant currency as more households embraced cashless financial tools.
Annualized transaction values processed through the financial platform surged by 36.5 percent to hit $275 billion during the second quarter.
Expanded agent networks and accessible merchant payment tools helped drive deeper daily engagement among unbanked and rural communities.
Operational Profitability and Network Investments
Solid top-line expansion supported strong profit margins despite persistent currency swings in key regions.
Underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization rose 32.8 percent to $1.92 billion. Operating profit margins remained healthy at 50.3 percent for the half-year window.
Profit after tax increased to $452 million, up from $376 million in the prior year.
To support rising traffic volumes, capital expenditures more than doubled to $657 million. The telecom group rolled out approximately 4,200 new network sites to expand high-speed broadband coverage across its territories.
Regional performance remained solid throughout the reporting period. Operations in Nigeria recorded 24.4 percent constant-currency growth during the second quarter, while Francophone and East African subsidiaries expanded by 20.3 percent and 18.6 percent respectively.
