Airtel Africa Plc (NSE: AIRTELAFRI) has released its audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026 to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the investing public.
In the financial statements, the company reported a strong performance with revenue growth of 29.5% to $6,415 million from $4,955 million in the prior year.
On a constant currency basis, revenue grew by 24.0%
Data revenue has now become the largest contributor to group revenue at $2,530 million, while voice revenue stood at $2,318 million.
Mobile money revenue contributed $1,355 million, with other revenue making up the balance.
The company’s underlying EBITDA grew strongly by 37.2% to $3,162 million, with the EBITDA margin expanding to 49.3% (up 280 basis points).
Profit after tax more than doubled to $813 million from $328 million in the previous year.
The Board has recommended a final dividend of 4.26 cents per share, bringing the total dividend for the full year to 7.1 cents*per share, representing a 9.2% increase from the prior year.
During the year, Airtel Africa successfully completed its second $100 million share buyback programme.
The programme was executed in two tranches, returning a total of $100 million to shareholders through the purchase of 45 million ordinary shares.
Airtel Africa grew its customer base by 10.5% to a record 183.5 million customers.
Data customers increased by 14.8% to 84.2 million, while the Airtel Money customer base grew by 21.3% to 54.1 million.
Airtel Nigeria delivered standout growth with constant currency revenue up 47.5%.
East Africa and Francophone Africa also posted healthy constant currency revenue growth of 17.8% and 17.1% respectively.
The company continued to invest in network expansion, rolling out over 3,250 new sites and adding approximately 3,200 km of fibre during the year.
Capex for the year rose to $884 million, with guidance for FY2027 set at approximately $1.1 billion.
Leverage improved to 1.8x from 2.3x, reflecting strong cash generation.
CEO Comment
Commenting on the results, CEO Sunil Taldar said the year delivered a very strong performance across both operating and financial metrics.
He highlighted the successful adoption of digital technologies and AI, which enhanced customer experience and drove efficiencies.
On the macroeconomic environment and energy cost pressures, the company noted it will continue to focus on cost efficiencies to mitigate near-term margin impact while maintaining its growth momentum.
About the company
Airtel Africa Plc is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services across 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The company was listed simultaneously on the London Stock Exchange and Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2019.
Administrator and Writer
