Airtel Africa has announced its full-year financial results for March 31, 2025.
The result showcased a remarkable turnaround, a pre-tax profit of $661 million, compared to a $63 million loss in FY 2024, and a 1,147.8% year-on-year (YoY) growth in reported currency.
Despite a 0.5% revenue decline in reported currency to $4,955 million due to currency devaluation, constant currency revenue grew by 21.1%, driven by strong execution and tariff adjustments in Nigeria.
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Voice and data revenues fell by 36.9% to $448 million and 26.2% to $483 million, respectively, in reported currency. However, constant currency figures showed voice revenue up 24.3% and data revenue up 44.5%, fueled by a 33.4% increase in data usage per customer to 8.4 GB per month, supported by ongoing 4G/5G network upgrades.
Commenting on the results, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar said,
“We have reported another strong operating performance as our strategy continues to deliver against the significant opportunity that exists across our markets.”
In East Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia), Airtel’s revenue grew by 13.6 percent to $1.8 billion. Also in the Francophone region, (Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, Republic of Congo, and Seychelles) the company saw its revenue grow by 7.2 percent to $1.3 billion.
The growth was attributed to a recovery in market trends, the benefits of sustained network investment, and an intensive focus on the ‘go-to-market’ initiative.
Airtel Nigeria’s mobile money segment saw revenue double from $2 million to $4 million, with 1.7 million active mobile money customers by March 2025. On the other hand, Airtel Money’s customer base grew 17.3% to 44.6 million, with transaction value rising 32% YoY to $136 billion in constant currency.
Notably, the company announced plans to list its mobile money services unit, Airtel Money, in the first half of 2026.
CEO Sunil Taldar confirmed this as part of the group’s full-year results statement. He said,
“We are making significant progress in our preparations for the Airtel Money IPO and remain committed to this objective”.
He noted that the company aims to create value by drawing new investors, expanding its digital financial services, and supporting other investments in its network and digital platforms.
Taldar highlighted a stable operating environment and a cost-efficiency program that boosted underlying EBITDA margins from 45.3% in Q1 to 47.3% in Q4. He emphasized continued focus on margin improvement, supported by a strong capital structure and disciplined capital allocation, positioning Airtel Africa to invest in network capacity for sustained growth.
CEO’s Outlook
Taldar emphasized Airtel’s strong capital structure and disciplined investments, positioning the company for sustained growth. The telecom giant remains optimistic about leveraging its mobile money segment and data-driven revenue streams for future expansion.
Airtel’s impressive Q1 2025 report, is coming after the company partnered with Starlink to bring its Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) internet service to its customers across Africa. The agreement will further the adoption of Starlink’s high-speed internet service and boost Airtel’s internet penetration in rural areas across the region.
Airtel Africa noted that the collaboration will improve its next-generation satellite connectivity offerings and spike its internet connectivity for businesses, and socio-economic communities like schools, and health centers across most rural parts of Africa.
The first quarter (Q1) 2025 performance, marks a strong recovery for Airtel Africa, reinforcing its resilience amid currency challenges and its strategic shift toward digital financial services.