MTN proudly announced it had achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 300 million customers, becoming the first telecom company headquartered in Africa to reach this benchmark. By the end of the financial year, MTN was serving over 307 million voice customers, 172 million data users, and 70 million Mobile Money customers across 16 different markets.
This subscriber achievement aligns with the company’s robust financial recovery. For the year ending December 31, 2025, MTN’s service revenue reached approximately USD 11.8 billion, up 22.9% year over year. This remarkable growth was fueled by a turnaround in Nigeria and strong profit increases in Ghana. Basic earnings per share experienced a significant reversal, climbing from a loss of USD 0.28 in 2024 to a profit of USD 0.60 in 2025, while adjusted headline earnings per share soared by 67%.
Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita remarked, “The Group’s performance in 2025 was outstanding. In the final year of our Ambition 2025 strategy, we are thrilled to have surpassed the 300 million customer landmark, reflecting our commitment to advancing digital and financial inclusion.”
These promising results highlight the strong commercial momentum in key markets, particularly from MTN Nigeria and MTN Ghana, as well as a consistent performance from MTN South Africa.
In constant-currency terms, MTN Nigeria and MTN Ghana saw service revenue increase by 54.9% and 35.9%, respectively, while MTN South Africa experienced a more modest 2% growth, as it operates in a mature, competitive market. The Group also noted considerable progress in Uganda, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zambia.
Subscriber growth has accelerated notably over the past 18 months. In the year leading up to December 2024, MTN added 6.2 million subscribers, bringing its total to 291 million. Remarkably, in the first half of 2025 alone, another 6.7 million subscribers joined, surpassing the total for the previous year.
MTN’s data and financial services sectors are increasingly driving growth. Data traffic surged by 27%, with average monthly data usage per customer rising to 12.5GB, up from 10.8GB the previous year.
On the financial technology front, MTN’s Mobile Money platform processed over 23 billion transactions throughout the year, accumulating a total transaction value exceeding US$500 billion. The number of monthly active customers for Mobile Money rose by 10% to 69.5 million, positioning it as a strong competitor to some of Africa’s largest banks.
As MTN looks forward to 2030, it identifies fintech, digital infrastructure, and smart home solutions as key growth areas. The company also aims to enhance its infrastructure capabilities. In February 2026, MTN announced plans to acquire all outstanding shares of IHS Towers, a strategic move designed to bolster its digital infrastructure and operational efficiency.
Additionally, MTN is set to roll out AI-driven learning and productivity solutions across its markets in 2026, in partnership with Microsoft. This collaboration marks MTN’s transition from a focus on connectivity to offering broader digital services for both consumers and businesses.
With the conclusion of its Ambition 2025 strategy, MTN has introduced its new roadmap, Ambition 2030. This strategy refines the Group’s approach into three key areas: Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, with an emphasis on enhancing customer experience and leveraging AI for future growth.
Over the past year, MTN invested approximately US$2.05 billion in capital expenditures to enhance network capacity, expand coverage, and improve service quality. A dividend of roughly US$0.027 per share was announced, an increase from US$0.019 in 2024, along with a share buyback program totalling US$324 million.
Mupita expressed enthusiasm about Africa’s potential, stating, “We are very excited about the opportunities ahead. Our scale, footprint, and brand leadership position us well to capture the significant structural growth opportunities identified.”
