₦airaland Forum

Airtel Owner Calls Africa A ‘Once In A Lifetime Opportunity’ After Massive $2.9 Billion Deal

Indian telecom billionaire Sunil Mittal is making an even bigger bet on Africa and the numbers involved are massive.

Bharti Airtel, the parent company of Airtel Africa, is moving to increase its ownership stake in the African telecom giant through a huge $2.9 billion share swap deal, a move analysts say shows growing global confidence in Africa’s digital economy.

Speaking on the company’s Africa strategy, Airtel founder Sunil Mittal described the continent as a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” adding that the company’s expansion into Africa 15 years ago was a visionary decision.

According to reports, Bharti Airtel plans to raise its ownership in Airtel Africa from 62.7% to about 79%, with ambitions to push it even higher in the future if regulations permit.

The deal comes at a time when Africa is witnessing explosive growth in:
• Mobile connectivity
• Digital banking
• Mobile money services
• Smartphone adoption
• Financial technology

Airtel Africa currently operates across 14 African countries and has become one of the continent’s biggest telecom and mobile money providers, competing aggressively in markets where millions still remain outside traditional banking systems.

The timing is also strategic.

The company is reportedly positioning itself ahead of a planned IPO for Airtel Africa’s mobile money business, an area many investors believe could become one of Africa’s biggest fintech growth stories over the next decade.

Industry observers say global investors are increasingly seeing Africa not just as a consumer market, but as one of the last major frontiers for digital financial expansion.

Interestingly, while many multinational companies once viewed Africa as too risky, telecom and fintech firms are now pouring billions into the continent because of its young population, rising internet penetration and growing digital payment culture.

For Nigeria and several African countries, this could mean:
• More telecom investments
• Expansion of mobile banking
• More fintech competition
• Better digital infrastructure
• Increased financial inclusion

But critics also warn that Africa must avoid becoming only a profit extraction market for foreign corporations without building strong local innovation and ownership alongside these investments.

Still, one thing is becoming increasingly clear:

Global billionaires are betting heavily on Africa’s digital future, even while many Africans themselves still underestimate how valuable the continent’s market may become in the coming decades.

Source:
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/airtel-billionaire-owner-sunil-mittal-eyes-once-in-a-lifetime-africa-opportunity/6j1vp65

Nigeria has been sold to these guys.

Tens of Renewable energy companies are flooding in to Nigeria every day, yet one idiot presidential candidate is telling you he will give you light.

The Chinese have conquered every sector in this country and it's all part of the loan deals the Nigerian government have been signing left, right and centre

Manufacturers and Service providers are the bomb.💯

That company still dey work ? Even to see airtime buy now na wahala

Tinubu is one of the highest shareholders in Airtel

That is the spirit 👌🏼









IIIII

Every Opportunity to milk us is a welcome idea

Mtn has already finish us with Data consumption

Haw about NITEL ?

Chinese, Lebanese and Indians are found in lawless countries

Way to go Airtel. We need you to kick those yellow guys out.

With their outrageous data imagine getting data of 1k for 2 days with YouTube night that's never working but accumulating. In fact I'm tired already data of #300 for 1G that year will take you for almost 3 days but now in just 18 hours or less it's finished.

The population is the market.

Let's seize and sell MT to him too. The South Africans are currently feeling powerful

Better days ahead…let’s be patient

Nigerian citizens can't afford to create opportunities like this except for those connected to politicians. But see foreigners all over the place making it big.

Government has failed us.

Seeplusplus:
Nigeria has been sold to these guys.

Tens of Renewable energy companies are flooding in to Nigeria every day, yet one idiot presidential candidate is telling you he will give you light.

The Chinese have conquered every sector in this country and it's all part of the loan deals the Nigerian government have been signing left, right and centre

I beg to differ bro the Asians understand the Nigerian market than us just take a look at OPay, and even Palmpay then compare them to the Nigerian own . And the advantage they have is they got lone from their government at a single digit unlike here where loan is almost 27% interest with no flexible repayment. Nigerian banks expect you to start paying back within a 1-3 month of disbursement whereas the Asian banks can give up to 12 months buffer

Leadership is African major challenge....

These guys creep in to our Continent with their funds and make billions of dollars thru investment.

We need visionary Leaders and Local Investors in real Servicing sector of the Continent...

Xenophobic country will be wailing right now. See deal dem suppose make but their bitterness cost this one for them.

More win for Airtel.

Africa is more than gold.


Mismanagement and corruption made it look poor.

Lojical1:
Source:
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/airtel-billionaire-owner-sunil-mittal-eyes-once-in-a-lifetime-africa-opportunity/6j1vp65

Africa has always been a commodity for buying and selling no real value whatsoever

what a shame

Seems I'm the only one enjoying this on Airtel currently

Gotocourt:
Chinese, Lebanese and Indians are found in lawless countries

You understand the game.

Nigerians are hailing companies that they cannot sue.

Very funny people.

From Visafone to econet. Then Airtel Abi I forget another one be like say them reach 3

What about Glo?

Why can't it go global?
Must it be only in Nigeria?

Seeplusplus:
Nigeria has been sold to these guys.

Tens of Renewable energy companies are flooding in to Nigeria every day, yet one idiot presidential candidate is telling you he will give you light.

The Chinese have conquered every sector in this country and it's all part of the loan deals the Nigerian government have been signing left, right and centre

There are rich Nigerians who prefers to invest in Europe and America than put their money in Nigeria.
Where many Nigerians see hopelessness foreigners are moving in to get ahead of them.
It's a shame, the amount of skepticism and even antagonism against the Dangote Refinery is a reflection of how short sighted many Nigerians are.

vr0xen:
From Visafone to econet. Then Airtel Abi I forget another one be like say them reach 3

Zain
.... Na so e be for d company always selling and buying

Airtel is clearly the star of this deal. It’s all about the future.

vr0xen:
From Visafone to econet. Then Airtel Abi I forget another one be like say them reach 3

Vmobile and Zain were also part of it.

Googledotcom:
Way to go Airtel. We need you to kick those yellow guys out.

Airtel is owned by an Indian

Everybody sees potential in Africa except Africans

No wonder there was so many changes on their My Airtel app & Smartcash app

Of course na!! Only some few naive Africans see Africa as mistake! They think they can't make it in Africa, in reality no one can make it without Africa, God bless our hustle and bustle

We are really doing well as investment excel.
Many are counting gains