Pan-African Fintech | 28 October 2026
Airtel Money has reported US$830 million in revenue for the six months ended 30 September 2026, reflecting strong growth in mobile payments, digital financial services and customer adoption across its 13 African markets.
The results, announced on 26 October, represent the company’s first half-year financial report since its listing on the London Stock Exchange earlier this month.
Revenue increased by 34% in reported currency compared with US$620 million in the corresponding period of 2025. On a constant-currency basis, revenue grew by 25.1%, demonstrating continued expansion across Airtel Money’s financial services ecosystem.
The performance reinforces the increasing importance of mobile money infrastructure in Africa’s digital economy.
Customer Base Reaches 56.7 Million
Airtel Money’s customer base grew by 18.7% to 56.7 million, supported by rising adoption of digital wallets, payments and other mobile financial services.
The company also recorded significant growth across its distribution network.
Its active agent network expanded to 2.4 million, while the number of active merchants increased by 85.5% to more than 587,000.
Meanwhile, the Airtel Money app customer base rose by 64.3% to 4.1 million users.
These figures highlight the company’s efforts to strengthen its digital presence while maintaining an extensive physical distribution network across African markets.
Mobile Money Transaction Value Reaches $128 Billion
One of the most significant highlights of Airtel Money’s financial performance was the growth in transaction activity.
Total processed value reached US$128 billion during the six-month reporting period, compared with US$87 billion a year earlier.
The company reported 36.8% growth in constant currency.
In the second quarter alone, processed transaction value reached US$67 billion, equivalent to an annualized run rate of approximately US$270 billion.
Average transaction value per customer increased to US$397 per month, representing 14.9% growth in constant currency.
This expanding transaction activity reflects the growing role of mobile wallets in facilitating financial interactions between individuals, merchants and businesses.
Payments and Financial Services Drive Expansion
Airtel Money’s growth was supported by three major business segments.
Wallet services generated US$408 million in revenue, while payments and transfers contributed US$360 million.
Financial services, including products beyond basic money transfers, generated US$39 million.
On a constant-currency basis, financial services recorded the strongest growth at 44.8%, followed by payments and transfers at 29.4% and wallet services at 27.6%.
The company is increasingly positioning itself as a broader digital financial services platform, with ambitions spanning merchant acquiring, e-commerce, lending, insurance, savings and other financial products.
Profitability and Regional Performance
Airtel Money reported profit after tax of US$228 million, up from US$188 million during the corresponding period in 2025.
Underlying EBITDA increased to US$398 million, although its margin declined to 48%, compared with 50.8% a year earlier.
The company attributed part of the margin pressure to changes in intra-group agreements introduced in July 2025.
Geographically, East Africa generated US$615 million in revenue, while Francophone Africa contributed US$215 million.
Francophone Africa recorded 40.2% revenue growth in constant currency, supported particularly by performance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What This Means for Africa’s iGaming and High-Risk Payment Industries
The growth of Airtel Money highlights the importance of accessible and reliable local payment infrastructure across Africa.
For digital businesses, including licensed gaming operators, payment reliability can influence customer acquisition, transaction completion, withdrawals and overall user experience.
Mobile money platforms have become an important part of Africa’s broader payment ecosystem, particularly in markets where customers rely heavily on mobile financial services.
However, Airtel Money’s financial results do not establish that the company permits gambling-related transactions across all its operating markets.
Gaming operators and payment aggregators must still assess local regulations, provider policies and the availability of appropriately authorized payment channels before integrating any mobile money service.
The wider commercial significance lies in the continuing expansion of digital payment infrastructure and the opportunities it creates for regulated businesses.
Airtel Money’s Next Phase
Following its London listing, Airtel Money is entering a new phase of growth as a publicly traded digital financial services company.
Chief Executive Ian Basil Ferrao highlighted the company’s expanding customer base, growing transaction volumes and opportunities to bring more Airtel telecommunications customers into the mobile money ecosystem.
The company estimates that approximately 75 million Airtel telecom subscribers across its footprint are not yet Airtel Money customers.
That potential customer base, alongside continued merchant adoption and financial services expansion, could support further growth.
Conclusion
Airtel Money’s US$830 million half-year revenue and US$128 billion in processed transactions demonstrate the scale and momentum of Africa’s mobile money industry.
With 56.7 million customers, an expanding merchant network and growing demand for digital financial services, the company continues to strengthen its position in the continent’s payment ecosystem.
For Africa’s fintech, e-commerce and regulated gaming industries, the results underscore a broader trend: dependable local payment infrastructure remains essential to sustainable digital business growth.
iBetAfrica will continue tracking developments shaping Africa’s payment infrastructure, financial technology and high-risk business ecosystem.
