Top 10 Largest Telecommunications Companies in Africa
Top 10 Largest Telecom Companies in Africa The centre of global development is always shifting, and if the past few years are any indication, it is now swiftly shifting toward the African continent. Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, and other African…
Top 10 Largest Telecom Companies in Africa
The centre of global development is always shifting, and if the past few years are any indication, it is now swiftly shifting toward the African continent. Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, and other African countries have shown tremendous growth in recent years, which has reflected in their telecommunications services.
Ranked in order of the balance between user base and annual revenue, these firms provide the resources necessary for businesses, non-profits, and government agencies across the African continent to coordinate their activities and achieve sustained growth.
10. 9Mobile
As one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications providers, 9Mobile offers 4G data plans, voice calls, digital content, and business phone services. The company currently has roughly 20mn subscribers, generating an annual revenue stream of $650mn. Besides supplying fast and reliable services, 9Mobile distinguishes itself with its extensive corporate social efforts, which include combating malaria and promoting care for those with HIV.
9. Globacom Limited
Founded in 2003 by Mike Adenuga, one of Africa’s richest men, Globacom is currently considered one of Nigeria’s largest telecommunication firms and is a member of Nigeria’s Big Four – together with MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, and 9Mobile.
The company offers a vast range of products, from mobile data to cloud storage solutions. With a user base of 51 million, the telecoms company averages an earning of $1.12 billion yearly.
8. Etisalat Egypt
Also known as Etisalat Misr, this company is one of the fastest and most reliable telecommunications providers in the country. Thanks to this speed advantage and its competitive pricing features, Etisalat Misr provides internet access to 99% of the Egyptian population. This allows it to generate roughly $3bn in annual revenue.
7. Maroc Telecom
Established in 1998, Maroc Telecom is Morocco’s main, and largest telecommunications company, with a user base of 73 million. It is a semi-public company, similar to Telkom, with Morocco’s government owning 22% of the company, and Etisalat Group owning 53%.
The company offers landline phone services, as well as mobile, fibre internet, ADSL and 4G+. This company earns $997 million in revenue, annually.
6. Ethiopian Telecommunications Company
Often referred to simply as Ethio Telecom, this telecommunications company is a subsidiary of the government of Ethiopia, which uses it to provide phone and internet services for all Ethiopian citizens. It has 56million subscribers and generates annual revenues of $1.19bn.
Recently, the government has begun a bidding process to sell a 40% stake in Ethio Telecom.
5. Safaricom
With 12mn subscribers and $1.893bn in annual revenues, Safaricom is one of the largest and most important mobile phone and internet providers in Kenya. The firm primarily focuses on providing telecommunications services in major cities including Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Kisumu. Considering how important banking is for economic growth, this makes Safaricom one of the most critical drivers of development in Kenya.
4. Airtel Africa
A subsidiary of the Bharti Airtel company, India, Airtel Africa has 78mn subscribers on the African continent. It has been particularly successful in Nigeria and Ghana, which together account for 60mn of its customers. With so many subscribers in some of the continent’s most vibrant economies, Airtel Africa earns $3.5bn in annual revenue.
3. Vodacom
With more than 55mn customers, Vodacom has one of the largest subscriber networks on the continent. It provides telecommunications services in 40 different countries, including Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon. It is particularly successful in the country where it is headquartered, South Africa, where it has 23mn subscribers and a market share of 58%. With such a large and widespread network of operations, Vodacom earns $5.4bn in revenue each year.
2. Orange Egypt
Orange Egypt is the largest telecommunications company on the continent In terms of revenue. It generates $11bn in annual revenue. The company has taken the lead in constructing telecommunications infrastructure, having installed underground coverage stations throughout Cairo and other major Egyptian population centres.
Having 259 million subscribers, the company says that 1 in 10 Africans is an Orange customer.
1. The MTN Group
Based in South Africa, the MTN Group offers telecommunications services not only in Africa, but also in many European and Asian countries. Combined with earnings in 19 other countries, this has allowed the MTN Group to generate $10.92bn in revenue, the second highest figure for any telecom firm on the continent. With 277million subscribers, MTN is widely renowned for the quality and affordability of its services,
