Airtel Money Revenue Rises 34% to $830 Million in H1 2026

Airtel Money reported revenue of $830 million for the six months ended September 30, 2026, a 34 per cent increase in reported currency from $620 million a year earlier and a 25.1 per cent rise on a constant-currency basis.

The customer base grew 18.7 per cent to 56.7 million, lifting mobile-money penetration among Airtel telecommunications subscribers to 42.9 per cent from 39.7 per cent a year earlier, while the company said about 75 million Airtel telco subscribers across its markets have not yet adopted the service.

Total processed transaction value rose 36.8 per cent in constant currency to $128 billion for the half-year, with annualised value reaching $270 billion in the second quarter; average processed value per customer increased 14.9 per cent to $397 per month and average revenue per user grew 5.1 per cent.

The active agent network expanded 26.3 per cent to 2.4 million and the merchant network surged 85.5 per cent to more than 587,000, supporting broader digital-payments adoption.

Revenue from wallet services rose 27.6 per cent, payments and transfers grew 29.4 per cent, and financial services recorded the fastest increase at 44.8 per cent in constant currency, reflecting the company’s push beyond basic wallet transactions.

Gross profit climbed 31.3 per cent to $499 million and underlying EBITDA increased 26.4 per cent to $398 million, but the underlying EBITDA margin fell to 48 per cent from 50.8 per cent, a change the company attributed to revised intra-group agreements with Airtel Africa (270 basis points) and an additional levy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (60 basis points).

Profit after tax rose 21.6 per cent to $228 million, basic earnings per share increased to 7.9 US cents, and operating free cash flow grew 27.1 per cent to $378 million; the board declared an interim dividend of 6.4 US cents per share, representing 81 per cent of profit.

In East Africa, revenue reached $615 million, up 20.5 per cent in constant currency, with a customer base of 44.1 million and processed value of $98 billion; Francophone Africa saw revenue of $215 million, up 40.2 per cent, a customer base of 12.6 million and processed value of $30 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Ian Basil Ferrao said the first half was in line with expectations, that margin pressure would ease in the second half, and that the business remains on track to meet its full-year targets.

Airtel Money listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market on October 14 under the ticker AMC, valuing the company at about £5.3 billion after the sale of 270 million existing shares at £1.96 each; the firm targets mid-20 per cent constant-currency revenue growth for the financial year ending March 2027 and aims for an underlying EBITDA margin above 50 per cent over the medium term.