Airtel Africa revenue jumps 28.2% to $3.823 billion; shares fall 2.6%
Key Facts
Airtel Africa reported on October 30, 2026, results for the half-year ended September 30, posting revenue of $3.823 billion, up 28.2% on a reported-currency basis and 20.8% at constant currency from the year-earlier period. The results showed underlying operating profit growing faster than revenue, while the shares fell 2.6% during the session in which the results were published. The period covers the first half of fiscal 2027, not the first half of calendar 2026. Revenue was $2.982 billion in the corresponding half, according to the company announcement published on the London Stock Exchange. The difference between the reported and constant-currency growth rates puts the impact of currency at the center of the year-on-year comparison.
Underlying operating profit rose to $1.921 billion, up 32.8% from $1.447 billion in the corresponding period. Its margin increased to 50.3% from 48.5% a year earlier, according to Airtel Africa's announcement. The company recorded net profit after tax of $452 million, compared with $376 million in the first half of the previous fiscal year. Basic earnings per share rose to 10.2 cents from 8.3 cents, according to regulatory data cited by Ticker. These metrics show improved operating profitability and basic per-share returns during the reporting period.
Revenue growth came from data, mobile money and voice services, with data leading at a growth rate of 28.0% at constant currency. Mobile money revenue increased 25.8% on the same basis, while voice revenue rose 11.1%, according to the company announcement. Customer figures underpin this expansion: total customers reached 193.9 million on September 30, 2026, an annual increase of 11.6%. Data customers totaled 89.9 million after growing 15% over the year. Data usage per smartphone customer also rose to 13.3 gigabytes in the half, from 10.1 gigabytes in the previous period, an operating indicator of increased consumption alongside the expansion of the customer base.
Despite the growth in results, the shares moved in the opposite direction during the October 30 session, falling 2.6% after rising early to 282.39 pence at the open, according to Investing.com. The 282.39-pence price was the opening price at which the early rise was recorded, not the session high. Coverage linked the share move to investors' assessment of the half-year results, including higher capital expenditure and exceptional items. This came as the results showed growth in revenue, operating profit and net profit. The session's move thus revealed a divergence between the reported performance indicators and the market's immediate response, without the coverage attributing the decline to profit-taking.
In a move that returns part of the proceeds to shareholders, the board approved an interim dividend of 3.1 cents per share on October 29, 2026, according to the regulatory announcement. The decision followed net profit after tax of $452 million and basic earnings per share of 10.2 cents during the half. The dividend offers a further indication of the shareholder cash-return trajectory alongside the company's operational expansion, amid growth in its customer base and data usage. The results were published the day after the dividend was approved, providing a picture of performance for the period ended September 30. The interim dividend remains the most prominent announced shareholder decision linked to these results.