Top 10 mobile operators in Africa

At a Glance

• Africa’s top 10 mobile operators contribute 8% to the continent’s GDP, enhancing connectivity, digital infrastructure, and mobile financial services for millions.
• MTN Group and Safaricom lead in transforming financial inclusion across Africa, offering mobile money platforms like MTN Mobile Money and Safaricom’s M-Pesa to the unbanked.
• These giants are vital to Africa’s digital transformation, expanding broadband access, promoting e-commerce, fintech, and remote work as part of broader economic growth.

Africa’s top 10 mobile operators — from MTN Group to Africell — play a pivotal role not just in digital connectivity but in the continent’s economic architecture. 

Collectively serving hundreds of millions of subscribers, these telecom giants are integral to Africa’s GDP, contributing an estimated 8 percent of the continent’s economic output, according to industry data. 

Beyond voice and data services, their influence extends to mobile financial systems, digital infrastructure, and job creation — shaping new income streams and fueling intra-African trade. 

Operators like Safaricom, with its game-changing M-Pesa platform, and MTN Group’s expansive mobile money services, have transformed access to banking for millions of unbanked Africans, deepening financial inclusion across borders.

As Africa’s economies modernize and digital ecosystems scale, these telecom powerhouses have become indispensable players in building the continent’s future — accelerating e-commerce, fintech, remote work, and the digital services sector. 

Their investments in network expansion, fiber infrastructure, and fintech innovation continue to anchor the continent’s journey toward a more connected and competitive global economy.

1. MTN Group
   MTN Group serves over 291 million mobile subscribers across 16 markets. In fiscal year 2024, it delivered a Group service revenue of R177.76 billion($9.29 billion) with a significant portion of its revenue coming from Nigeria, cementing its status as Africa’s largest mobile operator.
   
2. Airtel Africa
   Airtel Africa, with revenue of $4.98 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, serves 163.1 million mobile subscribers across 14 countries, securing its place as Africa’s second-largest mobile operator.
   
3. Orange Middle East and Africa
   Orange Middle East and Africa, with R40.26 billion($2.11 billion) in revenue in fiscal year 2024, serves 146 million mobile subscribers in 18 countries, making it Africa’s third-largest mobile operator.
   
4. Vodacom Group
   Vodacom Group with a revenue of R39.53 billion($2.07 billion) in fiscal year 2024 serves 132 million mobile subscribers across Africa, reinforcing its position as the continent’s fourth-largest mobile operator.
   
5. Ethio Telecom
   Ethio Telecom with a revenue of $700.32 million in 2024 serves over 74.6 million mobile subscribers in Ethiopia, ranking as Africa’s fifth-largest mobile operator with a total assets of $1.64 billion.
   
6. AXIAN Telecom
   AXIAN Telecom serves 42.9 million mobile subscribers and 15.2 million mobile financial service users, solidifying its position as Africa’s sixth-largest mobile operator.
   
7. Safaricom
   Safaricom serves 45.9 million mobile subscribers and 32 million M-Pesa users, establishing its status as Africa’s seventh-largest mobile operator.
   
8. Telecel Group
   Telecel Group serves around 25 million mobile subscribers across multiple African markets, ranking eighth among Africa’s largest mobile operators.
   
9. Telkom SA
   Telkom SA serves 15.1 million mobile subscribers in South Africa, placing it ninth among Africa’s largest mobile operators.
   
10. Africell Group
    Africell Group serves 16.3 million mobile subscribers across Angola, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, rounding out Africa’s top ten mobile operators.