Airtel Africa has increased its cumulative share repurchases to nearly 41 million under its $100 million buyback program. The move signals confidence in its balance sheet as the telecoms giant continues to invest in connectivity and mobile money across its 14 African markets.
As Africa’s digital economy demands sustained investment in networks, data and financial services, Airtel Africa believes it can fund growth and still return capital to shareholders.
The telecoms group has repeatedly emphasized that its ongoing multimillion-dollar buyback program reinforces the company’s strategy, which focuses on tightening its equity base while rewarding investors.
Launched in December 2024, the programme is structured around open-market purchases of Airtel Africa stock, all of which are cancelled to permanently reduce the number of shares in circulation.
Since launch, the shares have been acquired at a cumulative average price of $2 per share, translating to an estimated value of roughly $84.6 million (N122.7 billion) at current exchange rates.
In its latest filing with the Nigerian Exchange, Airtel Africa confirmed it repurchased an additional 40,000 ordinary shares on December 31, 2025, at prices ranging from about $4.50 to $4.60 per share, based on prevailing exchange rates.
Airtel Africa emphasised that the steady pace of buybacks underscores management’s confidence in the group’s cash-generating capacity and balance sheet strength, even as it continues to invest heavily in network expansion and mobile money services across Africa.
By cancelling repurchased shares, the telecoms giant is incrementally supporting per-share metrics such as earnings per share, while gradually increasing the relative ownership of remaining shareholders.
Following the latest cancellations, the company’s issued ordinary share capital stands at about 3.66 billion shares, with total voting rights reduced to approximately 3.65 billion. While the numerical impact appears modest, the strategic message is significant.
For Airtel Africa’s 14 markets, the buyback underscores financial discipline at a time when telecom operators face rising capital demands. It remains one of the continent’s largest telecoms and mobile money operators, serving customers across East, Central, and West Africa, and operating in countries with a combined population of over 600 million people.
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