On Monday, Airtel Africa and Xtelify announced a strategic alliance to introduce a software platform driven by artificial intelligence. The solution improves customer experiences while streamlining telecom operations.
The solution puts telcos in a competitive and growing position in a world that prioritises digitalisation by boosting ARPU, decreasing churn, and delivering better experiences.
Commenting on the partnership, Jacques Barkhuizen, Group Chief Information Officer – Airtel Africa, said, “This partnership marks a transformative leap in our mission to build Africa’s digital future. By harnessing Airtel’s AI platforms that have proven scale in India, we are not only simplifying our operations but also accelerating hyper-personalised experiences for our customers. In addition, this is Airtel leveraging Airtel – a powerful synergy that will drive sustainable growth, innovation, and unmatched value across our 14 African markets.”
Airtel Africa’s AI-powered spam detection tool
This year, Airtel Africa introduced its AI-powered spam alert service in selected African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, and Kenya. The initiative aims to tackle the growing issue of SMS fraud across the continent.
This innovative solution offers real-time alerts for suspected spam messages without requiring customers to download additional applications. The service is automatically activated for all Airtel subscribers, including smartphone and feature phone users.
The AI system analyses over 250 parameters, such as sender usage patterns and geographical targeting, to identify suspicious SMS messages labelled “Suspected SPAM.”
According to Airtel Africa, this dual-layer protection operates at network and IT systems levels, processing over 1.5 billion messages within just two milliseconds.
Additionally, the service scans incoming SMS messages for malicious links using a centralised database of blacklisted URLs, warning users about potential threats before they click on harmful links.
Airtel Africa’s Q2 2025 financial results
For the quarter that ended on June 30, 2025, Airtel Africa Plc reported a profit after tax of $156 million, representing a substantial 408.1 per cent increase over the $31 million reported during the previous year.
This was revealed by the company in its unaudited financial results, which were made public to the Nigerian Exchange Limited last month.
According to the telecom and mobile money services provider, the main drivers of the expansion were strong demand across its markets, increased cost effectiveness, and a reduction in currency headwinds.
Revenue increased by 22.4 per cent in reported currency to $1.42 billion, and operating profit increased by 33 per cent to $446 million. Converted to constant currency, revenue increased by 24.9 per cent.
“Our total customer base grew by 9 per cent to 169.4 million, with data customers increasing 17.4 per cent to 75.6 million,” the company stated.
The business also saw significant growth in its mobile money services, as evidenced by the Airtel Money platform’s 16.1 per cent increase in customer base to 45.8 million and its 35 per cent annualised transaction value increase to $162 billion. Revenue from mobile money increased by 30.3 per cent in constant currency.
Profits before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation increased by 29.8 per cent to $679 million, and the EBITDA margin increased from 45.3 per cent to 48 per cent over the previous year.
Airtel Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said, “We are very pleased with the strong growth in our operating and financial performance in the first quarter. The strength of this performance and the scale of the growth we achieved reflect the sustained demand for our services and the strength of our business model to meet these demands.”