Dar es Salaam/London. Telecommunications and mobile money provider Airtel Africa has expanded its network coverage, increased smartphone adoption and strengthened financial inclusion across its 14 African markets, according to its Sustainability Report 2026 released this week.
The report highlights the company's progress during the 2025/26 financial year, driven by investments in digital infrastructure, mobile financial services and strategic partnerships aimed at extending access to connectivity and economic opportunities, particularly in underserved communities.
Airtel Africa chief executive officer, Mr Sunil Taldar, said access to connectivity, financial services and digital education had become increasingly critical to economic participation across the continent.
“Across Africa, access to connectivity, financial services and digital education is increasingly essential to economic opportunity.
At Airtel Africa, we're expanding access to these services for millions of people, particularly in underserved and rural communities,” he said.
He added that the company had continued to expand network coverage, smartphone adoption and Airtel Money services while strengthening partnerships to broaden its impact.
According to the report, Airtel Africa's mobile network coverage reached 81.9 percent of the population during the year, up from 81.2 percent in the previous reporting period. Rural population coverage also improved to 73.1 percent from 72.2 percent.
The company reported growth in data usage, with data customer penetration increasing to 45.9 percent from 44.2 percent a year earlier.
Smartphone penetration rose sharply to 49.5 percent, compared with 44.8 percent in 2024/25, supporting wider access to internet-based services and digital platforms.
Meanwhile, transactions through the MyAirtel application increased by 80 percent to $8.3 billion, while monthly active users reached 10.5 million.
The report also points to significant growth in financial inclusion through Airtel Money, whose customer base expanded to more than 54 million users, up from 44.6 million in the previous year.
The value of transactions processed through Airtel Money rose to approximately $196 billion during the period, compared with $136 billion in 2024/25. Women accounted for 44.1 percent of Airtel Money customers.
In support of entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, Airtel Africa expanded its Airtel Money agent network to 2.4 million agents from 1.7 million a year earlier.
The company also reported progress in promoting gender diversity, with women representing 29.9 percent of its workforce, up slightly from 29.2 percent in the previous year.
Through a partnership between the Airtel Africa Foundation and UNICEF, the company connected 3,043 schools to free internet services as of March 31, 2026, compared with 2,176 schools a year earlier.
On environmental sustainability, Airtel Africa said it had converted more than 950 telecommunications sites from off-grid to on-grid power, helping reduce dependence on diesel generators.
As a result, diesel consumption declined by 9.1 million litres during the reporting year, while 94 percent of the company's generated waste was recycled.
“Sustainability remains embedded in how we operate and grow our business.
By improving energy efficiency and reducing reliance on diesel, we're strengthening operational resilience while supporting long-term sustainable growth,” Mr Taldar said.
The report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the GSMA telecommunications industry disclosure framework.
