Profit after tax rose significantly to $156 million, a 408% increase compared to the same period last year, and 48% of the prior full-year post-tax earnings.
Revenue came in at $1.415 billion, growing by 24.9% in constant currency and 22.4% in reported currency, as the group benefited from easing currency headwinds over the last three quarters.
According to the report, the acceleration in constant currency revenue growth from the previous quarter was driven by tariff adjustments in Nigeria and a strong performance in Francophone Africa, reflecting effective execution of its customer-focused strategy.
Data customers increased by 17.4 per cent to 75.6 million, contributing to accelerating demand for data services, according to its official release. Data Average Revenue Per Use (ARPU) growth accelerated to 18.5 per cent in constant currency, as data usage across the network increased by 47.4 per cent.
The report noted that Airtel Money, a Mobile Financial Service (MFS), continued to play a pivotal role in fostering financial inclusion, with a 16.1 per cent increase in customers to 45.8 million.
Commenting on the result, Sunil Taldar, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, said, “We are very pleased with the strong growth in our operating and financial performance in the first quarter. The scale of this growth reflects sustained demand for our services and the strength of our business model to meet these demands.
Operationally, the acceleration in customer base growth to 9%, and 17.4% growth in our data customers to 75.6 million, reflects strong on-ground execution with a relentless focus on digitisation and simplifying the customer experience.”
He added, “Airtel Africa’s strategy continues to prioritise the customer experience, with a focus on leveraging technology to lower barriers to smartphone adoption.”
