LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ

Airtel Africa Plc has reported a landmark financial performance for the year ended March 31, 2026, with pretax profit skyrocketing by 114.67% to reach $1.41 billion.

This robust growth was underpinned by a significant rise in total revenue, which climbed from $4.9 billion to $6.4 billion. The group’s bottom line saw even more dramatic gains, with post-tax profit jumping 147.87% to $813 million. CEO Sunil Taldar attributed this success to the strategic adoption of AI and new digital technologies, which have been instrumental in driving operational efficiencies and unlocking fresh growth opportunities across the continent.

The company’s revenue engine was powered by a diversified mix of services and an expanding subscriber base, which now stands at 183.5 million customers. Data revenue emerged as a primary driver, contributing $2.5 billion as monthly average usage per customer rose to 8.9 GB.

Voice services remained a core pillar at $2.3 billion, while the mobile money segment continued its impressive trajectory, contributing $1.08 billion. Geographically, East Africa led mobile service contributions with $2.1 billion, followed closely by Nigeria at $1.59 billion and Francophone Africa at $1.54 billion, highlighting the brand’s balanced regional strength.

Operational efficiency remained high despite rising costs, as the group managed $4.3 billion in expenses to deliver an operating profit of $2.1 billion. The financial results remained resilient even when accounting for macroeconomic headwinds, including $149 million in net foreign exchange losses and $17 million in hyperinflationary adjustments.

This stability filtered down to shareholders, with earnings per share increasing significantly to 18.6 cents from 6.0 cents in the previous year, reflecting a much-improved return on investment and stronger market positioning.

Airtel Africa’s balance sheet also showed healthy expansion, with total assets rising 16.14% to $13.9 billion. Non-current assets were bolstered by $3.5 billion in right-of-use assets and $2.4 billion in property, plant, and equipment, underscoring continued investment in network infrastructure.

Meanwhile, total equity grew to $3.4 billion, supported by a doubling of reserves and surplus to $1.3 billion. With smartphone penetration increasing to nearly 50% and a flourishing fintech ecosystem, the group appears well-positioned to sustain its momentum in the evolving African digital landscape.