…Across the Group, mobile services revenue grew by 23.8% in constant currency, driven by voice revenue growth of 13.9% and data revenue growth of 38.1%.
…Mobile money revenues continued to see a strong growth trajectory, with 30.3% growth in constant currency.
…EBITDA grew by 29.8% in reported currency to $679 million with EBITDA margins expanding further to 48.0% from 45.3%
THUR JULY 24 2025-theGBJournal| Airtel Africa Plc (AIRTEL) reported strong first-quarter (quarter ended 30 June 2025) results that demonstrates its ability to scale growth by attracting high-quality subscribers, while growing service revenues and sustaining demand for its services.
”We are very pleased with the strong growth in our operating and financial performance in the first quarter. The strength of this performance, and the scale of the growth we achieved, reflects the sustained demand for our services and the strength of our business model to meet these demands,” said Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, on the trading update.
”Operationally, the acceleration in customer base growth to 9%, and 17.4% growth in our data customers to 75.6m reflects the strong on-ground execution with a relentless focus on digitisation and the simplification of the customer experience.”
The telecommunications giant reported EPS of US$3.40 (Q1-25: US$0.18). The improvement was primarily driven by a strong uptick in operating income (+33.0% y/y) and a 33.9% y/y decline in total finance costs.
Financial Performance
Revenues of $1,415 million saw strong growth of 24.9% in constant currency and 22.4% in reported currency as currency headwinds continue to ease over the last three quarters.
The acceleration in constant currency revenue growth from the previous quarter reflects not only the impact of the tariff adjustments in Nigeria, but also a strong performance in Francophone Africa reflecting the continued execution of our strategy focused on the customer experience.
Across the Group, mobile services revenue grew by 23.8% in constant currency, driven by voice revenue growth of 13.9% and data revenue growth of 38.1%.
Mobile money revenues continued to see a strong growth trajectory, with 30.3% growth in constant currency.
EBITDA grew by 29.8% in reported currency to $679 million with EBITDA margins expanding further to 48.0% from 45.3% in the prior period driven by continued operating momentum, more stable fuel prices and sustained benefits from our cost efficiency programme.
Profit after tax of $156 million improved from $31 million in the prior period. The prior period was significantly impacted by derivative and foreign exchange losses, primarily in Nigeria, while the current period benefitted from a $22 million gain largely arising from the Central African franc (CFA) appreciation during the quarter.
Sunil Taldar says Mobile money remains a cornerstone of the company’s current and future growth proposition.
”With our customer base approaching 46 million and expanding by over 16%, we see significant potential to further advance financial inclusion through the
continued growth of our financial services offering,” he said
Airtel’s continued expansion of mobile money portfolio and the advancement of enterprise and digital payments contributed to a 35% growth in annualised transaction value to $162 billion.
”We will continue to focus on technology and the range of product offerings to deliver a differentiated experience for our customers,” Sunil Taldar added.
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