Here are the top 10 telecom operators in Africa in 2026

Africa’s telecom industry is at the centre of the continent’s connectivity brain, playing key roles in the digital economy drive and push for inclusive internet access.

With about 150 operators across 54 countries, and serving over 1 billion telecom subscribers across Africa, the presence of more than one player in a country (at least) signals the availability of choice for customers.

This article will spotlight the top ten African telecom operators in Africa by customer base, with an inclusion of their operational dynamics. 

Subscribers’ base figures used in this article were collected from industry data, latest financial results (mostly for the year ended December 31, 2025), and information on telecom operators’ websites.

1. MTN Group – 307.2 million

MTN Group is Africa’s largest telecom operator with 307.2 million, according to its 2025 financial year report.

The company reached the 300 million milestone in October 2025, tagging the growth as a significant achievement in its Ambition 2025 strategy.

With operations across 16 African markets, the company is headquartered in South Africa. It holds its largest customer base in Nigeria with 97.3 million subscribers. 

Aside from Nigeria and South Africa, other MTN African markets are Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin, Botswana, Congo-Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan and Zambia. 

2. Airtel Africa – 179.4 million 

The Bharti Airtel owned-company is Africa’s second largest telecom operator with 179.4 million.

Airtel Africa operates across 14 markets, grouped into three: Nigeria, East Africa (6) and Francophone Africa (7). 

The East African markets are Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, while Francophone Africa houses Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Niger, Republic of the Congo and the Seychelles.

Airtel Africa’s largest market is Nigeria, with 56.2 million subscribers.

3. Orange Africa – 170 million 

French-based telecom operator Orange is a leading global telco with operations across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

As of FY 2025, Orange’s customer base in Africa is estimated at 170 million with a strong presence in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

Other markets are Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Madagascar.

The Orange logo hangs inside an Orange SA mobile phone store in Marseille, France, on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. Orange is in early talks about buying Bouygues SA’s phone and television businesses, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move that would reduce the number of wireless carriers in France and follow in rivals’ footsteps of bringing telecommunications and media together. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg

Africa is Orange’s biggest market, accounting for over 60% of its customer base. Orange’s non-African markets are France, Jordan, Poland and Belgium.

Also Read: African telcos struggle with balancing financial sustainability with growth.

4. Vodacom Group – 165.3 million 

Excluding its associate Safaricom markets (Kenya and Ethiopia), Vodacom Group operates in 6 African markets with 165.3 million customers.

Headquartered in South Africa, Vodacom is majorly owned by the United Kingdom-based Vodafone. 

Other stakeholders are Public Investment Corporation Limited, the South African Government Employee Pension Fund, and YeboYethu (RF) Limited. 

Vodacom Group

Its largest market by customer base is Egypt, with 53.1 million. Others are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.

5. Ethio Telecom  – 87.1 million 

State-owned telecom operator, Ethio Telecom, largely dominates the Ethiopian market with a subscriber base of 87.1 million.

Despite the entry of Safaricom into Ethiopia in 2022, after the company opened licences to private telecom players, Ethio Telecom continues to maintain dominance in the industry.

Ethio Telecom, which the government plans to privatise as part of a broader economic liberalisation policy, held an initial public offering last year but sold only 10.7% of the shares offered.

FILE PHOTO: Ethio Telecom employees work inside their call centre in the Bole neighborhood branch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 29, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

6. Maroc Telecom – 77 million 

Maroc Telecom, Morocco’s largest telecoms operator, operates as a major telecommunications group across 11 African countries, with its headquarters and primary market in Morocco. 

Under the brand “Moov Africa”, the telecom operator is 53% owned by the UAE’s Etisalat and 22% by the Moroccan state. 

As of its latest report for 2025 earnings, Maroc Telecom now holds a customer base of 77 million, with its home market (Morocco) the leading base with 22 million.

Maroc Telecom

Besides Morocco, the group operates in Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Togo.

7. Safaricom Group – 57.07 million

Kenyan-based telecom operator, Safaricom, operates in Kenya and Ethiopia, where it launched in 2022. 

Safaricom holds a subscriber base of 57.07 million, according to its latest financial report. Although forecasts show the operator has now crossed 60 million subscribers.

Safaricom’s largest market is Kenya, possessing approximately two-thirds of the country’s subscribers. Driving Safaricom’s popularity is its fintech arm, M-PESA. 

Safaricom is partly owned by Vodacom, the Kenyan Government and general public investors. Also, Vodacom is set to hold a majority stake at 55%, with negotiations to buy an additional 15% stake from the Government of Kenya.

Also Read: Court bars Kenyan telcos from recycling phone numbers without owners’ consent.

8. Yas – 41 million

Yas is a pan-African telecommunications brand under AXIAN Telecom, aiming to drive digital inclusion and offer 4G/5G service.

Yas is AXIAN Telecom’s rebranded mobile network operations in Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, Togo and Tanzania in 2024. The group’s goal is to create a unified brand to streamline the customer experience.

The operator holds a customer base of 41 million. Yas Tanzania is its leading market with 23 million customers, followed by Yas Madagascar with 14.6 million.

Yas

Yas also operates mobile and financial services (Mixx by Yas) across Africa.

9. Telkom South Africa – 25 million 

Telkom South Africa provides integrated wireline, wireless, fibre, and IT services. 

While it’s a state-owned enterprise, the South African government is the biggest stakeholder at 40.5%. Others are the South African government employees’ pension fund, treasury stock,  and institutional investors. 

Its subscriber base of 25 million makes the telco a key player in the South African mobile and broadband market. 

10. Globacom – 22.6 million

Industry data by the Nigerian Communications Commission in February 2026 reveals that Globacom now has 22.6 million telecom subscribers, making it the third in Nigeria and tenth in Africa by customer base. 

Globacom was founded in 2003 by Mike Adenuga through his conglomerate, the Mike Adenuga Group.

As a privately-owned entity, Mike Adenuga serves as the Chairman and CEO of Globacom. Meanwhile, the NCC has directed the company to separate both roles by August 2027, as part of new corporate governance guidelines.

Following its exit from Ghana (2022) and Benin (2017), Globacom only operates in the Nigerian market. 

Globacom Building

Also Read: Why African telcos need government support for rural network coverage and expansion.

While several telecom operators are scattered across Africa, other notable players are Econet Zimbabwe, Telecel, Cell C, Rain, and so on.