Airtel Africa recorded a sharp rise in profit after tax, which climbed to $586 million in the nine months ended December 31, 2025, up from $248 million in the same period of 2024.
According to the company’s nine-month financial results released on Friday, the strong performance was driven by higher operating profit as well as derivative and foreign exchange gains of $99 million, compared with $153 million in FX and derivative losses in the previous year.
Group revenue in reported currency rose 28.3 per cent to $4.67 billion, while revenue in constant currency grew 24.6 per cent. The stronger reported-currency performance reflected currency appreciation in key markets. In the third quarter of 2026 (Q3’26), constant-currency revenue growth improved slightly to 24.7 per cent, from 24.2 per cent in Q2’26.
The company said revenue growth was underpinned by tariff adjustments in Nigeria, which delivered 50.6 per cent constant-currency growth, alongside a solid performance in Francophone Africa, where revenue rose 17 per cent over the nine months.
In Nigeria, Airtel Africa’s revenue grew 50.4 per cent in constant currency, driven largely by strong demand for data services and the impact of tariff increases. This growth was supported by average revenue per user (ARPU) growth of 39.6 per cent and customer base expansion of 7.8 per cent.
In reported currency terms, Nigerian revenue increased 52.1 per cent to $1.12 billion, with Q3’26 revenue growth accelerating to 70.9 per cent. The company attributed the sharp rise to the appreciation of the naira, with the weighted average exchange rate improving from ₦1,627/$ in Q3’25 to ₦1,456/$ in the current quarter.
Voice revenue in Nigeria rose 35.8 per cent in constant currency, supported by a 26 per cent increase in voice ARPU, reflecting the effect of earlier tariff adjustments.
Data revenue surged 65.4 per cent in constant currency, driven by growth in both data customers (8 per cent) and data ARPU (49.7 per cent). Average data usage per customer rose to 10.7GB per month, up from 8.4GB, while smartphone penetration increased to 54.1 per cent.
Commenting on the results, Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa CEO, said the performance underscores the strength of the company’s strategy and execution across its markets.
He noted that Airtel Africa accelerated investment during the quarter to expand network coverage, boost data capacity and grow its fibre footprint, while leveraging partnerships to strengthen customer offerings.
Taldar also highlighted progress in financial inclusion, with the company’s mobile money customer base expanding to 52 million, surpassing the 50-million milestone. Annualised transaction value processed reached over $210 billion in Q3’26, reinforcing Airtel Money’s role in driving access to financial services across Africa.
He added that the group remains on track to list Airtel Money in the first half of 2026, while disciplined cost management helped lift EBITDA margin to 49.6 per cent, supporting 31 per cent constant-currency EBITDA growth.
“Our strategic priorities remain clear: investing in best-in-class connectivity, accelerating financial inclusion, and delivering an exceptional customer experience,” Taldar said, expressing confidence in the long-term growth potential of Airtel Africa’s markets.
