Source: Sharecast
Airtel Africa said reported revenues jumped 29.5% to $6.42bn for the year ended 31 March, driven by broad‑based growth across its markets and supported by tariff adjustments in Nigeria.
Underlying earnings rose 37.2% to $3.16bn, with margins improving to 49.3% from 46.5% a year earlier. Operating profits increased 45.1% to $2.12bn, while pre-tax profits more than doubled to $1.42bn. Basic earnings per share rose to 18.6 cents from 6.0 cents in the prior year.
The FTSE 100-listed firm said its customer base grew 10.5% to 183.5m, the highest annual net additions on record, with data customers increasing 14.8% to 84.2m as smartphone penetration reached 49.5%, while monthly usage rose to 8.9GB from 7.0GB. Data revenues, now the largest contributor to group turnover, grew 35.2% in constant currency.
Airtel also said its Airtel Money unit had delivered strong momentum, with its customer base up 21.3% to 54.1m and annualised total processed value rising 49% to more than $215bn in the fourth quarter. Mobile money revenues increased 28.4% in constant currency, supported by broader use cases and deeper platform engagement.
Capex rose 31.9% to $884m as the group rolled out more than 3,250 new sites and expanded its fibre network to 81,900km.
Airtel Africa guided to around $1.1bn of capex in FY27 as it accelerates investment in coverage, capacity, home broadband and data centres.
Additionally, the board of Airtel Africa recommended a final dividend of 4.26 cents per share, taking the full‑year payout to 7.1 cents - up 9.2% year‑on‑year.
As of 0820 BST, Airtel Africa shares were down 1.81% at 357.40p.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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