Airtel subscriber numbers surge by three million in three months
This places Airtel ahead of Safaricom in terms of growth rate, even as the latter continues to lead in total subscriber numbers.
Airtel Kenya has posted the highest rise in new mobile subscribers in the first three months of this year, recording over 3 million new SIM registrations and pushing its total customer count to 24.5 million, the largest quarterly gain among the five major operators.
This places Airtel ahead of Safaricom in terms of growth rate, even as the latter continues to lead in total subscriber numbers.
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According to new data released by the Communications Authority of Kenya, Airtel’s subscriber base rose by 13.95 per cent between January and March 2025, up from 21.5 million at the end of last year.
In comparison, Safaricom grew by 3.6 per cent during the same period, increasing from 46.6 million to 48.2 million users. The overall mobile market grew by 6.7 per cent, with the number of active SIM cards rising from 71.4 million to 76.2 million across all providers.
Other players in the market include Equitel, which had 1.5 million subscribers, Telkom with 1.2 million, and Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL) with 700,000 users as of March 2025.
Airtel’s continued expansion has been driven by ongoing investments in its network infrastructure, particularly in areas that previously lacked proper coverage.
The company has been rolling out new masts in fulfilment of its licensing agreement with the CA, which required full coverage in 102 identified sub-locations by the end of 2024.
Despite falling short of this target with installations completed in only 40 sub-locations and partial coverage in 29, Airtel was granted a two-year extension until January 2027 to meet the requirement.
The remaining 33 sub-locations remained uncovered by the end of last year, with security concerns cited in six of them.
“We are deeply humbled by the support of over 24 million customers who continue to believe in us. This is not the destination, it is part of a longer journey,” said Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra.
“We are committed to Kenya, and whilst we have made huge investments, our mission of enriching lives and driving progress is still not done.”
The company’s licence renewal was also tied to the settlement of Sh2.3 billion in unpaid licensing fees, a matter that was resolved through an out-of-court agreement with the regulator earlier this year.
Airtel’s recent gains reflect its strong push to improve network access, as it seeks to close the gap with Safaricom in overall subscriber share while complying with regulatory obligations and growing its footprint across Kenya.
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