MTN Group, a leading telecommunications company based in South Africa, posted a 10.4% increase in service revenue for the first quarter of 2025, with growth reaching 19.8% in constant currency terms. The performance was largely driven by robust revenue gains in Nigeria and Ghana, according to a report by Reuters.
The telecom giant said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 33% year-on-year on a constant currency basis. The EBITDA margin expanded by 5.3 percentage points to 44.1%, reflecting improved operational efficiency and a more stable macroeconomic environment across its key markets.
MTN Nigeria led the charge with a service revenue growth of 40.4%, while MTN Ghana followed closely with 39.5%. However, MTN South Africa faced persistent challenges, particularly in the prepaid market segment, where service revenue grew by a modest 2.6%.
“Customers in South Africa remained highly price-sensitive amid subdued economic growth and intense competition,” MTN noted in its quarterly update.
To address energy supply constraints in South Africa, MTN is considering a collaboration with rival operator Vodacom to improve access to backup energy. The potential partnership could boost the availability of alternative energy solutions, critical for maintaining stable network operations.
Looking ahead, Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said MTN is expanding its reach by strengthening partnerships with low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators. These include Elon Musk’s Starlink, Eutelsat’s OneWeb, AST & Science, and Lynk, aimed at enhancing enterprise connectivity offerings across underserved regions. However, specific details of the collaborations were not disclosed.
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