The majority shareholder in Airtel Africa, Bharti Airtel, has acquired an additional 4.45 percent stake in Airtel Africa. This additional stake is has a valuation of N409.4 billion, based on a share price of £1.32. The Indian group acquired 163,580,582 new shares of Airtel Africa on the London Stock Exchange.
With the acquisition, Bharti Airtel’s stake in the African telecoms giant is now 61.745 percent, increasing from 57.293 percent. Before the share acquisition, the share buyback programme had seen Bharti’s stake recalibrate from 57.06 percent to 57.293 percent. According to the corporate disclosure on the NGX website, Bharti Airtel’s stake is held by Airtel Africa Mauritius Limited, which is an SPV.
In 2025, Airtel Africa’s share price remained unchanged on the Nigerian Exchange. However, on the London Stock Exchange, the stock has advanced by 24 percent year-to-date. The movement in the share price on the LSE was a reaction to Airtel’s 9M 2024 performance.
The group posted a net income of $248 million in the nine months ending December 31, 2024, a significant contrast from the $2 million posted in the same period of the previous financial year.
Bharti Airtel’s move further underscores the group’s confidence in Airtel Africa’s growth prospects. It is also in line with the share buyback program that began in March 2024.
