Safaricom Ethiopia has reported a significant increase in service revenue, reaching 6.5 billion birr with a 179 percent year-on-year growth. Despite narrowing its net loss by 23 percent to 26.2 billion birr, the company continues to face financial hurdles. This performance highlights expanding customer bases and network progress in a tough market.
Safaricom Ethiopia, the Kenyan telecom giant's subsidiary in the country, announced impressive growth figures for its operations as of November 8, 2025. The company's service revenue climbed to 6.5 billion birr, reflecting a remarkable 179 percent increase compared to the previous year. This surge comes even as Safaricom narrowed its net loss by 23 percent, bringing it down to 26.2 billion birr.
A key driver of this revenue growth has been the diversification of services. Voice services now account for 22 percent of total service revenue, a substantial rise from 12 percent the year before. This shift has helped reduce the company's heavy dependence on mobile data, providing a more balanced income stream in Ethiopia's competitive telecommunications landscape.
Customer adoption has also accelerated sharply. The 90-day active customer base expanded by 83.7 percent to reach 11.1 million users. Particularly notable is the performance of M-PESA, Safaricom's mobile money service, which saw its 90-day active customer base jump by 175 percent to 3.4 million. This represents about 30 percent penetration among Safaricom Ethiopia's user base, underscoring the growing appeal of digital financial services in the region.
On the infrastructure front, Safaricom has made steady progress in network rollout. By September 2025, the company had 3,162 sites operational, achieving 83 percent of its financial year 2026 target of 3,800 sites. These developments occur against the backdrop of Ethiopia's challenging market, marked by regulatory hurdles and economic pressures, yet they signal Safaricom's commitment to long-term expansion and service enhancement.