Airtel Africa PLC has selected the London Stock Exchange for the planned initial public offering of its mobile money subsidiary, Airtel Money, targeted for the second half of 2026.
The transaction could value the fintech unit at up to $10 billion (£7.5 billion) and raise $1.5 billion, making it London’s largest new market debut since Wise Group PLC in 2021.
Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar stated the London listing gives the firm access to a broad international investor base while unlocking long-term equity value from its digital payments ecosystem.
The flotation was previously planned for earlier this year, but macroeconomic volatility and energy price inflation stemming from Middle East geopolitical conflicts forced executive management to adjust the listing timeline.
Airtel Money’s first-quarter annualized total processed value surged 51.5% to exceed $245 billion, driven by sustained transaction volume across 14 African markets.
Active subscribers expanded 23.3% year-on-year to 56.5 million, pushing quarterly mobile money revenue up 39% to $404 million while maintaining a 50.1% EBITDA margin.
At the group level, Airtel Africa reported a 32% rise in pretax profit to $360 million, alongside a 31% top-line increase to $1.85 billion for the quarter ended June 30.
Underwriter Citigroup is leading the investment banking syndicate, which is being expanded to structure the transaction and prepare regulatory filings ahead of the prospective H2 2026 listing date.
