Airtel Africa has announced a robust performance in its latest trading update, showcasing significant growth in its customer base and financial metrics, despite ongoing challenges posed by currency devaluation.
The telecommunications giant also revealed the launch of a second share buyback program, aimed at returning up to $100 million to shareholders, reflecting confidence in the company’s growth trajectory.
Airtel Africa reported a 7.9% increase in its total customer base, reaching 163.1 million. The company noted a substantial rise in data customer penetration, which grew by 13.8% to 71.4 million. Data usage per customer surged by 32.3%, averaging 6.9 GBs, while smartphone penetration rose by 5.2% to 44.2%.
The company’s commitment to enhancing financial inclusion has paid off, with mobile money subscribers increasing by 18.3% to 44.3 million. The value of transactions in Q3 2025 grew by 33.3% in constant currency, achieving an annualized transaction value of $146 billion.
Airtel Africa’s average revenue per user (ARPU) also saw positive growth, with data ARPU rising 15.0% and mobile money ARPU increasing by 11.8% in constant currency, contributing to an overall ARPU increase of 12.0% year-over-year.
In terms of financial results, Airtel Africa reported revenues of $3.638 billion, representing a 20.4% growth in constant currency, although this reflected a 5.8% decline in reported currency due to ongoing currency devaluation impacts. The company achieved a 21.3% revenue growth in constant currency for Q3 2025, with mobile services revenue growing by 18.8% and mobile money revenue up by 29.6%.
EBITDA for the nine-month period was $1.681 billion, down 11.9% in reported currency, attributed to rising fuel costs and a reduced contribution from Nigeria.
However, EBITDA margins improved from 45.3% in Q1 2025 to 46.9% in Q3 2025, thanks to the successful implementation of a cost efficiency program.
Capital expenditures (Capex) totaled $456 million, a 7.8% decrease from the previous period, with guidance for the full year remaining between $725 million and $750 million.
The company has made strides in reducing foreign currency debt exposure, paying down $739 million over the past year, with 92% of its operating company debt now in local currency, up from 79% a year ago.
Following the successful completion of its first $100 million share buyback program, Airtel Africa’s Board of Directors announced a second buyback program, reinforcing its commitment to returning value to shareholders amid a strong balance sheet and cash flow generation.
Sunil Taldar, CEO of Airtel Africa, expressed optimism about the company’s performance, stating, “We have delivered an improvement in both the operating and financial performance in the last quarter driven by our refined strategy which is focused on delivering great customer experience across all touch points.”
He highlighted the importance of network investment and customer experience in driving growth and acknowledged the challenges posed by the current economic environment.
Taldar also noted positive signs of currency stabilization in some markets and welcomed the recent tariff adjustments from the Nigerian Communications Commission, indicating a more favorable operating environment moving forward.
