Airtel Africa, one of the leading telecommunications and mobile money services providers, has announced a remarkable surge in its mobile money transaction value, indicating a significant growth of 45.3 percent in constant currency during the second quarter of this fiscal year. The company's annualized transaction value reached an impressive 116 billion US dollars in reported currency, showcasing the robust performance of its mobile money services.
The telecom giant also reported a substantial increase in its total customer base, which expanded by 9.7 percent, reaching 147.7 million customers. This growth was attributed to the rising penetration of mobile data and mobile money services. Airtel Africa experienced a remarkable 23.0 percent surge in data customers, totaling 59.8 million, and a corresponding 23.1 percent increase in mobile money customers, reaching 36.5 million.
Commenting on the outstanding results for the half-year ending in September, Mr. Olusegun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel Africa Group, expressed the company's commitment to sustaining efficient growth and enhancing long-term value for its customers and shareholders. “Our focus remains to enhance long-term value by continuing to drive sustained and efficient growth. Over the last five years, we have delivered constant currency revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation (EBITDA) at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.1 percent and 20.7 percent respectively, allowing us to further derisk the balance sheet and improve profitability across the group,” stated Mr. Ogunsanya.
Looking ahead, the company reiterated its commitment to delivering affordable and reliable telecom and mobile money services across its markets, emphasizing its robust operating performance and strategic positioning to capitalize on the growth opportunities in its operational regions.
Airtel Africa's half-year report highlighted a consistent growth in the constant currency average revenue per user (ARPU), which increased by 9.8 percent. This growth was driven by increased usage across voice, data, and mobile money services. The company reported an 18.3 percent growth in mobile services revenue in constant currency, propelled by a remarkable 11.5 percent growth in voice revenue and an impressive 28.1 percent growth in data revenue. Additionally, mobile money revenue experienced a substantial growth of 30.9 percent in constant currency.
“The resilient growth in voice, data, and mobile money usage levels reflects the inherent demand for these essential services across our footprint, and our six-pillar ‘win-with’ strategy continues to ensure we capture this growth opportunity by expanding our customer base and providing the platform to enable increased usage across the network,” added Mr. Ogunsanya.
This robust momentum in Airtel Africa's performance is supported by continued cost efficiencies, enabling the company to expand its EBITDA margin further. The company remains poised to navigate the evolving market landscape while delivering exceptional services to its ever-growing customer base.