Airtel Africa delivered a robust financial and operational performance for Q2 fiscal-2026, posting a 25.8 percent growth, supported by currency appreciation and strategic execution across its African markets.
Total revenue of Airtel Africa for the quarter reached $2,982 million, driven by double-digit growth across mobile, data, and Airtel Money segments.
CEO Commentary on Strategy and Outlook
Airtel CEO Sunil Taldar said: “Digital innovation remains at the heart of our business, with growing adoption of the MyAirtel app and expanding Airtel Money ecosystem. We’re accelerating investment to support rising data and financial inclusion across our markets.”
Key Financial Highlights (Q2 2026)
Revenue: $2,982 million (up 25.8 percent)
Mobile Services Revenue Growth: 23.1 percent (Voice +13.2 percent, Data +37.0 percent)
Airtel Money Revenue Growth: 30.2 percent
EBITDA Margin: 49 percent
Capex: $318 million; FY26 guidance raised to $875–900 million
Total Customers: 173.8 million (+11 percent)
Data Customers: 78.1 million (+18.4 percent)
Smartphone Penetration: 46.8 percent
Airtel Money Customers: 49.8 million (+20 percent)
Subscriber and Data Growth Drive Revenue Momentum
Airtel Africa’s customer base surged 11 percent year-on-year to 173.8 million, reflecting the success of its customer-first strategy and innovations like Airtel Spam Alert and the expanding MyAirtel app ecosystem. Data customers grew 18.4 percent to 78.1 million, while smartphone penetration climbed 3.8 percentage points to 46.8 percent.
Data traffic on Airtel Africa’s network jumped 45 percent, propelling data ARPU up by 16.8 percent. For the first time, data revenue surpassed voice, reaching $1,161 million and accounting for the largest share of the Group’s revenue mix.
Mobile Money Growth Strengthens Airtel’s Digital Ecosystem
Airtel Africa Money continued its strong momentum, expanding financial inclusion and driving digital adoption. The service’s customer base grew 20 percent to 49.8 million, while its annualized total processed value (TPV) surpassed $193 billion, up 35.9 percent year-on-year. This growth translated into an 11 percent ARPU increase in constant currency, demonstrating deeper engagement and higher transaction activity on the platform.
The company also reaffirmed its plans for an Airtel Money IPO in the first half of 2026, as the business nears $200 billion in annualized transaction volume.
Strategic Investments Enhance Network and Customer Experience
Airtel continued to invest heavily in network expansion and digital infrastructure to meet surging data demand. During the quarter, the company added over 2,350 new sites, taking the total to 38,300 sites, and expanded its fiber footprint by approximately 4,000 km to 81,000 km.
Overall population coverage increased to 81.5 percent, with 98.5 percent of sites 4G-enabled, ensuring higher data capacity and improved customer experience across regions.
Reflecting its strong financial position and growth outlook, Airtel Africa increased its FY26 capital expenditure (capex) guidance to $875–900 million, up from earlier projections. Capex for Q2 stood at $318 million, consistent with the previous period.
Baburajan Kizhakedath