MTN Group accelerated its fiber and home broadband strategy during the first half of 2026, combining rapid growth in fixed connectivity customers with continued investment in network capacity, coverage and quality across its African markets.
The telecom operator invested R19.7 billion in capital expenditure excluding leases during H1 2026, compared with R20.8 billion a year earlier. Capex intensity declined to 16.6 percent from 19.0 percent, keeping investment within MTN’s 15-18 percent medium-term target range. On an IFRS 16 basis, capital expenditure reached R23.96 billion, against R27.30 billion in H1 2025.
MTN said the R19.7 billion investment supported improvements in network capacity, coverage and quality across its markets. The investment strategy comes as demand for data and broadband connectivity continues to expand across the group’s footprint.
MTN Home Broadband Customer Base Jumps 58.2 Percent
Home broadband emerged as one of MTN’s fastest-growing connectivity businesses in H1 2026. The group’s active home customer base increased 58.2 percent year-on-year, supported by both fixed wireless access and fiber.
Fiber-to-the-home, or FTTH, expanded materially faster than FWA, increasing fiber’s contribution to MTN’s active home broadband base. MTN Nigeria led the group’s fiber expansion, with both network rollout and customer connections running materially ahead of plan.
MTN is pursuing a technology-neutral broadband strategy rather than relying exclusively on fiber. The operator plans to deploy FTTH selectively in attractive urban clusters, while using 4G and 5G fixed wireless access to achieve more scalable broadband expansion in other areas.
This geo-segmented approach could help MTN control broadband capex while extending high-speed home connectivity to a larger addressable market.
Bayobab Fiber Revenue Surges 37.2 Percent
Fiber infrastructure subsidiary Bayobab also recorded strong momentum during the period. External revenue from the fiber segment increased 37.2 percent in H1 2026.
Growth was driven by new connectivity infrastructure contracts, continued network expansion and improvements in service delivery. Bayobab expanded its terrestrial fiber footprint while progressing strategic infrastructure projects, including its East-to-West fiber programme with Africa50.
The investment is designed to expand resilient, open-access digital infrastructure across Africa and strengthen MTN’s wholesale connectivity platform.
The fiber performance contributed to broader wholesale growth. MTN’s wholesale service revenue increased 15.5 percent in H1 2026, accelerating significantly from the 2.9 percent growth reported for FY2025. MTN attributed the improvement partly to the expansion of Bayobab’s pan-African connectivity business and higher network utilisation.
Broadband Demand Drives Data Traffic Higher
MTN’s broadband investments are being supported by rapidly increasing data consumption. Active data subscribers increased 9.1 percent to 179.3 million, while average data usage reached 13.6 GB per user.
Group data traffic increased 22.8 percent to 14.3 PB, while smartphone penetration reached 66.5 percent across MTN’s footprint. MTN said it also extended broadband coverage across its markets during the period.
Data revenue increased 29.2 percent in constant currency, reinforcing the commercial case for further broadband network investment.
MTN South Africa also reported rising broadband usage. Average consumption among active postpaid data subscribers increased 32 percent to 32.3 GB, supported partly by continued adoption of FWA services. Average prepaid monthly data consumption increased 23.6 percent to 4.9 GB.
The South African operation is expanding home connectivity through products including Shesh@5G and MTN AirFibre, with its home subscriber base covering both FWA and fiber continuing on a strong growth trajectory.
MTN South Africa Invests R2.6 Billion Excluding Leases
MTN South Africa deployed R3.3 billion of capex on an IFRS 16 basis during H1 2026, including R2.6 billion excluding leases.
Investment in broadband capacity is increasingly important as mobile and fixed data usage expands. MTN South Africa’s network traffic increased 27.7 percent during the period, alongside 4 percent growth in data revenue.
Fiber Becomes Key Pillar of MTN’s Ambition 2030
MTN’s H1 2026 results indicate that fiber, FWA and home broadband are becoming increasingly important components of its Ambition 2030 connectivity strategy.
The group is balancing FTTH investment with 4G and 5G FWA to expand broadband while maintaining capital discipline. This approach helped MTN keep overall capex intensity at 16.6 percent, despite continuing network investment.
At the same time, the 58.2 percent increase in active home customers, 37.2 percent growth in Bayobab fiber external revenue, 22.8 percent increase in data traffic and 29.2 percent growth in data revenue demonstrate growing demand for high-speed connectivity.
MTN’s fiber expansion through Bayobab, selective FTTH deployment and scalable 4G/5G FWA strategy position broadband infrastructure as an increasingly important driver of the group’s connectivity growth across Africa.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH