Vodacom Group’s revenue rose nearly 11% to R81.6 billion (≈ $4.7 billion) as customers hit 223 million, driven by strong South African and Egyptian growth despite pressure in prepaid segments.
Telecoms
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Vodacom posted strong interim results, with revenue climbing 11% to R81.6 billion ($4.7 billion) and customer numbers reaching 223 million, driven by solid growth in South Africa and Egypt.
Lagos is Africa’s largest startup hub, valued at $15.3 billion. Top 10 companies: 7 are fintechs (Flutterwave, Paystack, Interswitch, OPay, Moniepoint), driving the ecosystem with 5 unicorns.
MTN Nigeria rebounded to a ₦750.2 billion profit after tax for the nine months ended Sept 2025, after two years of losses. Boosted by Naira gains, easing inflation, and a 57.5% rise in service revenue to ₦3.7 trillion.
In a dramatic turn in the Please Call Me dispute, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ordered Kenneth Makate to pay Vodacom R13 million in legal costs, reversing his earlier victory in the Supreme Court.
Airtel Africa bounces back with $376m profit in H1 2025, riding Naira gains and booming data and mobile money growth.
MTN Nigeria will lease spectrum from T2mobile starting October 2025 in a deal linked to national roaming, marking a key move for both operators’ network strategies.
Nigeria’s NCC has issued over 46 MVNO licences since 2023, but very little has been heard about these companies. According to one of them, there’s a lack of talent in Nigeria’s telecom industry.
Ghana is betting on a Telecel–AirtelTigo merger to challenge MTN’s dominance in the telecom sector. But it’s $600m plan may not match MTN’s scale.
Djibouti Telecom will extend the DARE1 cable from Kenya to South Africa, adding new landings by 2028 to boost capacity and connectivity across the region.
Safaricom is building Kenya’s first locally controlled subsea cable with support from Meta’s Edge Network Services, aiming to fix recurring Internet blackouts by 2026.
Nigeria’s telecom regulator, NCC, is racing to implement a cybersecurity framework by 2026 to counter rising threats and protect the nation’s digital backbone.
From a 90% subscriber loss to a rare rebound, T2 posts its first growth since 2023, hinting at a potential turnaround under its new T2 Mobile identity.
Ethio Telecom expects a 45.5% revenue boost by June 2026, driven by user growth and Telebirr expansion, even as privatisation plans remain on hold.
The EU is investing $16 million in broadband mapping across 11 African countries, marking a major step in its Global Gateway strategy to close digital access gaps.
President Tinubu’s decision to eliminate the 5% telecom tax on data and voice services could mark a significant policy shift that could reduce consumer costs and promote equitable digital access across Nigeria.
MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola will now also lead Francophone Africa operations, covering markets like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
MTN Group returned to profit in H1 2025, with revenue up 23% to ($5.6 billion), driven by data and fintech. Nigeria led growth with a 54% revenue surge, while South Africa grew slowly.
Vodacom has secured approval to acquire a co-controlling stake in fibre operator Maziv, following a protracted regulatory battle.
Cell C has won approval to acquire Comm Equipment Company, a move that will bring its postpaid operations in-house, streamline processes, and give the operator greater control over customer services.
Airtel Africa and Vodacom will share fibre and tower infrastructure in key African markets to cut costs, speed 4G/5G rollout, and boost connectivity in underserved regions.