The Group’s consistent execution of its customer-focused strategy resulted in solid growth across key metrics, further strengthening its role as a leading telecom and mobile money provider in Africa.

Operational Highlights

• Customer Base Growth: Airtel Africa’s total customer base rose by 9% year-on-year to 4 million, driven by strategic expansion and a commitment to closing the digital divide.
• Surge in Data Adoption: Data customers grew by 4% to 75.6 million, with data usage up 47.4%, reflecting growing smartphone adoption (now at 45.9%) and network reliability. Data ARPU rose by 18.5% in constant currency.
• Mobile Money Momentum: Airtel Money customers grew by 1% to 45.8 million, with annualised transaction values increasing 35% to $162 billion. Mobile money ARPU grew 11.3%, as customers engaged more with financial services.
• Network Expansion: Airtel added 2,300 new sites, increasing its total to 37,579, and extended its fibre network by 2,700km, enhancing 4G coverage to 7%.

Financial Performance

• Revenue Growth: Group revenue rose by 9% in constant currency and 22.4% in reported currency, reaching $1.415 billion. The acceleration was fuelled by tariff adjustments in Nigeria and strong performance in Francophone markets.
• Mobile Services: Mobile service revenue increased 8%, with voice and data contributing 13.9% and 38.1% growth respectively.
• Mobile Money Revenue: Saw a 3% growth in constant currency, driven by product expansion and customer growth.
• EBITDA Performance: EBITDA rose by 8% to $679 million, with margins expanding to 48.0%, aided by stable fuel prices and continued cost optimisation.
• Profit After Tax: Jumped to $156 million from $31 million in Q1 2025, boosted by operating gains and favourable FX movement in the CFA region.
• Earnings Per Share (EPS): Basic EPS rose to 4 cents, up from 0.2 cents, highlighting strong bottom-line improvement.

Capital and Investment Focus

• Airtel spent $121 million in capital expenditure, with full-year guidance maintained at $725m–$750m.
• The Group continued its debt localisation strategy, now with 95% of OpCo debt in local currency (up from 86%).
• Leverage increased to 2x due to lease revaluations, while lease-adjusted leverage remained steady at 0.9x.
• Share Buyback: $16.9 million returned to shareholders via purchase of 7.1 million shares under its $55 million programme.

Commenting on the results, Sunil Taldar, CEO of Airtel Africa, said:

“We are very pleased with our strong growth this quarter. The 9% expansion in customer base and 17.4% increase in data users show our strategic focus on digitisation and customer experience is working. Our AI-powered Airtel Spam Alert service is one example of how we’re enhancing network trust and accelerating smartphone adoption.

Mobile Money remains central to our growth story. With nearly 46 million customers and $162 billion in annualised transaction value, we are advancing financial inclusion across our markets.

Our 24.9% constant currency revenue growth, coupled with rising margins and cost efficiencies, reflects our ability to deliver consistent value despite macroeconomic headwinds. Backed by a strong balance sheet and continued investment, we’re confident in our path forward to support digital and financial empowerment across Africa.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.

In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.

Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.

Commenting on this development, Airtel Nigeria CEO Dinesh Balsingh has restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.

“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network,” he noted.

“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh added.

The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.

Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.

The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.

As the revolutionary Spam AI Alert Service rolls out across Airtel Africa’s 14 operating countries, Dinesh Balsingh, Airtel Nigeria CEO, has elaborated on the unprecedented benefits and operating principles guiding the Spam Alert Service.

Designed to enhance user safety, this pioneering AI-driven product provides real-time defense against spam and fraudulent SMS messages, making it a gamechanger for mobile security across the continent.

The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service, which is engineered to automatically detect and label suspicious SMS messages as “Suspected SPAM” without requiring any user action or additional apps, leverages a robust AI algorithm that analyzes over 250 parameters.

These parameters includee sender behavior, message frequency, message geographical distribution, and unusual activity patterns. Impressively, the service completes this process under just two milliseconds, offering near-instantaneous alerts while maintaining the privacy of user data by not reading message content.

Commenting on the breakthrough service, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, stated:

“Nigeria is not just a critical market for us—it’s a leader in digital adoption within the continent. Our AI Spam Alert Service reflects our dedication to safeguarding our customers from the growing threat of SMS fraud. As the first of its kind in Africa, it addresses a fundamental issue of trust and security, which is paramount to our digital ecosystem. We’re proud to offer this service to Nigerians and extend it across our African footprint.”

Following its successful deployment in Nigeria, the Spam Alert Service has now launched in Tanzania and Kenya and is set to cover Airtel’s entire African operations.

The service’s automatic activation for all Airtel customers, across both smartphones and feature phones, ensures maximum reach and accessibility.

Early feedback from subscribers has been overwhelmingly positive, with users praising the AI’s efficiency in flagging potentially harmful messages without interfering with their everyday communication.

By pioneering this AI-based spam detection technology, Airtel Africa demonstrates its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge innovation to resolve critical issues facing its subscribers.

The AI Spam Alert Service not only protects users but also sets a new benchmark for mobile security standards in the region.

“Our goal is to build a safer digital environment for our users,” added Balsingh. “This innovation is part of our broader strategy to incorporate advanced technologies that address real challenges while enhancing the overall customer experience.”