Annyeonghaseyo,
Sarah here,
Here’s what I have for you today.
- Jumia eyes profitability after revenue climbs 25% in Q3 2025
- Vodacom Group and Starlink partner to expand broadband access across Africa
- IHS Towers reports $147 million profit in Q3 after last year’s loss
Jumia eyes profitability after revenue climbs 25% in Q3 2025
E-commerce giant Jumia Technologies has reported a 25% year-on-year rise in Q3 2025 revenue to $45.6 million, marking what CEO Francis Dufay calls an “inflection point” in the company’s turnaround story.
Once plagued by high costs and declining customer activity, Jumia appears to be stabilising. The company’s operational loss fell 13% to $17.4 million, and active quarterly users reached 2.4 million, signalling renewed consumer confidence across its African markets.
Jumia’s first-party sales grew 54% to $23.8 million, quarterly active users grew to 2.4 million, and the value of total orders grew to $197.2 million.
After years of losses, Jumia’s Q3 performance suggests it may finally be building a path toward sustainable profitability. But the company still faces hurdles like competition from informal marketplaces, logistics costs, and currency instability across its key markets.
Dufay remains optimistic: “We believe Jumia has reached an inflection point as our compelling value proposition and improved operational discipline position us for sustainable, profitable growth.”
Vodacom Group signs deal with Starlink
The telecom giant Vodacom has signed an agreement with Starlink to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet across African markets.
Vodacom is aiming to bridge the digital divide in rural and hard-to-reach areas by integrating Starlink’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology into its network. The deal enables Vodacom to resell Starlink’s equipment and services to enterprise and business customers across Africa.
It aligns with Vodacom’s Vision 2030 target to grow its customer base to 260 million and financial services customers to 120 million.
According to MyBroadband, Starlink’s satellite backhaul will be used to bolster network coverage where terrestrial infrastructure is costly or impractical, such as remote schools, health centres and mining sites.
The partnership currently covers markets where Starlink is licensed; notably, South Africa is excluded at this stage because of regulatory/licensing delays.
With many African regions underserved by fibre or tower infrastructure, combining mobile and satellite connectivity could accelerate digital inclusion, supporting business growth, education, and health access.
However, satellite solutions still face challenges such as bandwidth limits and latency compared to fibre or 5G, meaning the success of the rollout will depend on execution and cost-effectiveness.
IHS Towers reports $147 million profit in Q3 2025
IHS Towers has bounced back from a $205.7 million loss last year to post a $147.4 million profit in Q3 2025, helped by favourable currency movements and steady organic growth.
The company’s turnaround was driven largely by a $353.6 million swing in net finance costs, as the Nigerian naira’s appreciation boosted its earnings on paper. Still, IHS saw an 8.3% increase in organic revenue to $455.1 million, thanks to new tenant additions and lease renewals.
Despite the profit, IHS is facing pressure on its operations. MTN Nigeria, its biggest client, is vacating around 1,050 sites after a contract renewal — a setback that could weigh on future revenue.
Why it matters: The return to profit gives IHS a short-term boost, but the sustainability of that growth will depend on stabilising its core business and reducing exposure to currency fluctuations.
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