South African telecommunications giant MTN has posted a strong rise in service revenue for the nine months ending September, underpinned by exceptional growth in its Nigerian and Ghanaian operations. The group reported a 25.9% increase in service revenue year-on-year, reinforcing its position as Africa’s largest mobile operator with a customer base exceeding 300 million across 16 countries.
MTN said that when adjusted for currency volatility—an ongoing challenge across several of its markets—service revenue grew by 22.6%, reflecting solid underlying business performance.
Nigeria remained the company’s standout market, delivering a remarkable 57.1% jump in service revenue. This surge was supported by rising data usage and customer additions despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. Meanwhile, MTN Ghana recorded a 35.9% increase, benefitting from moderating inflation, relative exchange rate stability, and expanding digital service adoption.
In contrast, MTN South Africa experienced a modest 2% rise in service revenue. Growth in the post-paid and enterprise segments was overshadowed by intense competition in the prepaid market, where consumers remain highly price-sensitive amid economic pressures.
Across the group, data revenue climbed 40%, propelled by an increase in active data subscribers and heightened demand for mobile internet services. Fintech revenue also grew strongly at 35.7%, reflecting the company’s ongoing push to broaden its digital financial services ecosystem.
MTN invested 27.9 billion rand ($1.63 billion) in capital expenditure during the period, channeling funds into network expansion and infrastructure upgrades. The company said these investments significantly boosted data traffic capacity and supported the rising volume of fintech transactions.
Overall subscriber numbers increased 5% to reach 301 million, highlighting continued customer uptake across its markets.
Looking ahead, MTN confirmed plans to roll out an expanded AI-driven digital inclusion programme developed in partnership with Microsoft. The initiative, aimed at improving digital literacy and access across underserved communities, is expected to launch across multiple African markets in early 2026.
Source:Africa Publicity
