AIRTEL SURPASSES SAFARICOM IN SUBSCRIBER GROWTH WITH 24.5 MILLION CUSTOMERS

Airtel Kenya emerged as the fastest growing mobile operator in the first quarter of 2025, registering over 3 million new SIM card subscriptions. This surge brought its total customer base to 24.5 million the highest quarterly increase among Kenya’s five main telecom providers. While Safaricom continues to dominate in total subscriber numbers, Airtel outpaced it in growth rate.  Data released by the Communications Authority of Kenya shows Airtel’s subscriber base expanded by 13.95% between January and March, raising from 21.5 million at the end of 2024. In contrast, Safaricom recorded a 3.6% increase during the same period, growing from 46.6 million 48.2 million users.

Overall, the mobile market grew by 6.7% in the quarter, with the total number of active SIM cards increasing from 71.4 million to 76.2 million across all providers. Other players in the market included Equitel with 1.5 million subscribers, Telkom with 1.2 million, and Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL) with 700,000. Airtel’s growth is largely attributed to its continued investment in expanding network infrastructure, especially in areas that previously lacked adequate coverage. The operator has been installing new masts as part of a licensing agreement with the CA, which mandated full coverage in 102 specified sub locations by the end of 2024.

 Despite completing installations in only 40 sub locations and achieving partial coverage in 29 others, Airtel was granted a two-year extension until January 2027 to fulfill the requirement. The remaining 33 areas remained unserved, with security challenges cited in six of them. A key condition of Airtel’s license renewal, the settlement of Sh2.3 billion in unpaid licensing fees, was also resolved earlier this year through an out of court settlement with the regulator. The company’s recent performance underscores its strategic push to expand network access, meet regulatory obligations, and narrow the subscriber gap with market leader Safaricom.