Airtel Africa Plc experienced a decline of 9.7% amounting to $2,370 million in the first half of year 2025 due to the impact of currency devaluation, particularly in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by Airtel in interim results for the first half of year 2025 covering various aspects such as currency revenue, total customer base growth, data customer penetration and usage, as well as smartphone penetration.
According to the African operations of the Indian telecoms group, Airtel, its revenue currency saw a decline of 9.7% to $2,370 million, particularly in Nigeria, reflecting the effects of currency devaluation.
On the other hand, revenue in constant currency grew by 19.9% in the first half of 2025, with growth accelerating to 20.8% in the second quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in growth in Nigeria to 38.2%.
Furthermore, data revenue experienced a robust growth of 44.4% in constant currency, attributed to the expansion of both data customer and data ARPU by 8.5% and 30.5%, respectively. Data usage per customer surged by 36.0% to 8.1 GB per month, with smartphone penetration rising by 6.2% to reach 48.5%. Smartphone data usage per customer also increased to 10.9 GB per month compared to 8.6 GB per month in the previous period.
Airtel Africa: Data usage per customer surged by 36.0% to 8.1 GB per month
The increase in fuel prices across Airtel’s markets, coupled with the reduced contribution from Nigeria to the group following the devaluation of the naira, led to a decline in EBITDA margins to 45.8% from 49.6% in the first half of 2024.
However, in the second quarter of 2025, the EBITDA margin improved to 46.4% from 45.3% in the first quarter, reflecting the initial successes of the cost efficiency program launched earlier in the year. Constant currency EBITDA increased by 13.5%, while reported currency EBITDA declined by 16.5% to $1,087 million for the first half of 2025.
Profit after tax amounted to $79 million, impacted by $151 million of exceptional derivative and foreign exchange losses (net of tax) due to further depreciation of the Nigerian naira during the period.
In the second quarter of 2025, Airtel Africa plc reported an EBITDA of $238 million, representing a 49.7% decline in reported currency but a 22.3% increase in constant currency. The EBITDA margin decreased by 526 basis points to 48.7%, primarily due to inflationary pressures, particularly from the rise in diesel prices. Notably, average diesel prices in Nigeria surged by approximately 90% compared to the previous period.
However, in Q2 2025, the EBITDA margin showed improvement, reaching 49.4% from 48.2% in Q1 2025. Operating free cash flow also saw a significant increase to $163 million, up by 73.7% in constant currency, driven by EBITDA growth and lower capital expenditures. In reported currency, operating free cash flow declined by 55.2% due to lower EBITDA following the significant devaluation of the naira over the year.
Furthermore, data revenue experienced a robust growth of 44.4% in constant currency, attributed to the expansion of both data customer and data ARPU by 8.5% and 30.5%, respectively. Data usage per customer surged by 36.0% to 8.1 GB per month, with smartphone penetration rising by 6.2% to reach 48.5%. Smartphone data usage per customer also increased to 10.9 GB per month compared to 8.6 GB per month in the previous period.
The total customer base expanded by 6.1% to 156.6 million, with data customer penetration on the rise, leading to a 10.4% increase in data customers to 66.0 million. Data usage per customer grew by 30.9% to 6.6 GBs, while smartphone penetration increased by 5.3% to reach 42.9%.
Moreover, mobile money subscriber base has grown to 41.5 million, representing a 13.4% increase. This growth is a result of Airtel’s ongoing investment in distribution channels to promote financial inclusion across its markets, the telecoms company said. Additionally, transaction value has increased by 30.1% in constant currency, with an annualised transaction value reaching $128 billion.
Airtel Africa Plc, owners of Airtel Nigeria, is a prominent telecoms and mobile money services provider, serving as the second largest telecoms operator in Africa. With presence in 14 countries across East Africa, Central Africa, and West Africa, Airtel offers a comprehensive range of telecoms solutions to its subscribers.
Its integrated suite of services includes mobile voice and data services, along with mobile money services, catering to both national and international markets.
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