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Airtel Africa

Six strategic pillars, Long-term growth

Transforming lives across Africa
Airtel Africa’s purpose

Six strategic pillars

Airtel Africa runs mobile networks and mobile money in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, for 189 million customers, and made $6.4 billion of revenue in the year to March 2026, up 24% at constant currency. Its strategy puts customers at the core, on six strategic pillars.

Strengthen ‘Go-to-market’

More places to buy and top up, in towns and villages, with digital tools for the sales team and partners.

  1. 01DistributionStrengthen distribution, especially its own kiosks, mini-shops, and Airtel Money branches, alongside multi-brand outlets in towns and villages.
  2. 02SmartphonesGrow data revenue through smartphone adoption and higher revenue per user.

8 May 2026In the year to March 2026 it added more than 660,000 Airtel Money agents and 130,000 outlets.

23 July 2026Smartphone penetration reached 51.0% in June 2026, up 5.2 points in a year.

More than half of Airtel Africa’s customers used a smartphone by June 2026

Smartphones are the key to data traffic, and data is now Airtel Africa’s largest source of revenue. Data use per customer rose to 10.6 GB a month in the quarter to June 2026, from 7.8 GB a year before.,

51.0%

of customers used a smartphone, Jun 2026

Half0%50%100%

Each handset is a tenth of Airtel Africa’s customers; the lit screens are those using a smartphone.

Airtel Money is due to list in London on 14 October 2026, valued at £5.3 billion

Payments on Airtel Money ran at an annualised $245 billion in the quarter to June 2026, up 51.5% in a year. Airtel Africa owns 77.85% of it, and expects to remain a long-term strategic shareholder after the listing.,,

over $245bn

annualised payments, Apr–Jun 2026, from 56.5 million customers

$193bn$210bn$215bn$245bn

One coin to each $10 billion of payments a year, at each quarter’s rate.

  1. Fix whichever is weaker, the network or the shops.

    In each of its must win markets, Airtel Africa improves the network where its distribution is already strong, and its distribution where the network is. We recommend looking at the two together, place by place, so that money goes to whatever is holding growth back there.

  2. Plan for the business that outgrows the rest.

    Airtel Money grew faster than the telecoms business and is now listing in London, with Airtel Africa as a long-term strategic shareholder. We recommend deciding early how a fast-growing part of the company will be funded and valued, so that its success does not take the plan by surprise.

  3. One app for every service.

    Airtel Africa puts mobile services and Airtel Money in one app, and its app users and payments are growing fastest. We recommend giving customers one front door to everything the company offers, so that each new service reaches people who already use the others.

Sources

  1. 1. Airtel Africa (2025). Results for the year ended 31 March 2025. Results announcement, 8 May 2025. investegate.co.uk
  2. 2. Airtel Africa (2025). Results for the quarter ended 30 June 2025. Results announcement, 24 July 2025. investegate.co.uk
  3. 3. Airtel Africa (2025). Results for the half year ended 30 September 2025. Half-year report, 28 October 2025. investegate.co.uk
  4. 4. Airtel Africa (2026). Results for the nine months ended 31 December 2025. Results announcement, 30 January 2026. investegate.co.uk
  5. 5. Airtel Africa (2026). Results for the year ended 31 March 2026. Results announcement, 8 May 2026. investegate.co.uk
  6. 6. Airtel Africa (2026). Results for the quarter ended 30 June 2026. Results announcement, 23 July 2026. investegate.co.uk
  7. 7. Airtel Africa (2026). Airtel Money intention to float announcement. Company announcement, 23 September 2026. investegate.co.uk
  8. 8. Airtel Africa (2026). Airtel Money announcement of offer price. Company announcement, 1 October 2026. investegate.co.uk

Headwater is not connected with Airtel Africa plc. Airtel and Airtel Money are trade marks of their owners. Updated 5 October 2026.

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