In the first three months of 2025, Airtel Africa shared exciting updates about its growth, without complicating this article with financial figures, allowing me to break it down on how it transforms and affects its Ugandan subscribers. Imagine a world where everyone in Uganda can connect to the internet, send money with a tap on their phone, and enjoy a seamless mobile experience. Airtel Uganda, like any other telco in the country, is a key player in Airtel Africa’s network, and is making this vision a reality.
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More Ugandans Are Getting Connected
In 2025, Airtel’s customer base across Africa grew by 9%, reaching 169.4 million people. This means more people in places like Kampala, Gulu, and Mbale are joining Airtel’s network. For Airtel Africa, the number of data users—folks using the internet for work, school, or fun—jumped by 17.4% to 75.6 million. Why? Because more people, including Ugandans, are getting smartphones, with 45.9% now owning one, up 4.3% from last year. This is huge for a country where internet access can open doors to education, jobs, and global opportunities.
For example, a student in Jinja can now stream online classes, or a farmer in Mbarara can check market prices, thanks to Airtel’s growing 4G network, which now covers 74.7% of people across its markets. Airtel Uganda has added over 2,300 new network sites and expanded its fibre network by 2,700 kilometers, making the internet faster and more reliable, even in rural areas.
The Airtel Money effect
Empowering Financial Freedom Airtel Money, the mobile money service, is changing how Ugandans handle their finances. With 45.8 million users across Africa (a 16.1% increase), it’s helping people send money, pay bills, or even save for the future. In Uganda, Airtel Money is a lifeline for small business owners, like market vendors in Nakasero, who can now accept payments without cash. The service saw a 35% rise in transaction value in Africa, hitting $162 billion annually, as more Ugandans use it for everything from buying airtime to paying school fees.
Strong Growth, Simple Benefits
Airtel Africa’s revenue grew by 24.9%, reaching $1.4 billion, with mobile services like voice calls and data driving the success. In Uganda, this means Airtel is investing more to improve services. For instance, the company rolled out an AI-powered tool called Airtel Spam Alert to protect users from scam calls and messages, making their phones safer and more trustworthy. Airtel Africa’s profits also soared, with a profit after tax of $156 million, up from just $31 million last year. This growth allows Airtel Uganda to keep investing in better networks and services for its customers.
For the everyday Ugandan, Airtel’s efforts mean faster internet, safer mobile money transactions, and more ways to stay connected. Whether you’re a boda boda driver in Kampala using Airtel Money to get paid or a teacher in Lira accessing online resources, these improvements make life easier. Airtel Uganda is also keeping costs in check, with 95% of its debt now in Ugandan shillings, shielding customers from global currency fluctuations.
Looking Ahead
Airtel Uganda seems to be committed to closing the digital gap. With only 45.9% of people using smartphones, there’s still room to grow. The company plans to keep building networks and rolling out services like Airtel Money to reach more Ugandans, from urban hubs to remote villages. As Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa’s CEO, put it, “We’re focused on delivering services that improve lives, communities, and economies.” In Uganda, this means empowering everyone with the tools to thrive in a digital world. So, next time you use Airtel Money to pay for your matoke or stream a video on Airtel’s 4G, know that you’re part of a bigger story—one where Airtel Uganda is connecting the nation, one phone at a time.
