Airtel Money sets IPO price at £1.96 per share, targets £5.3bn valuation

Airtel Mobile Commerce N.V. (Airtel Money), the mobile money business of Airtel Africa, has set the offer price for its planned initial public offering (IPO) at £1.96 per share, implying an estimated market capitalisation of £5.3 billion ($7.0 billion) at admission.

Airtel Africa disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying Airtel Money intends to list its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange, with admission currently expected on 14 October.

The planned listing followed Airtel Africa’s announcement on 23 September of its intention to undertake an IPO for Airtel Money, which operates mobile money services across several African markets.

Listing offer

Under the offer, certain existing shareholders of Airtel Money are expected to sell 270 million existing shares. Also, an additional 27 million shares may be sold if the over-allotment option is fully exercised.

Airtel Africa said it does not expect to sell its existing Airtel Money shares in the offer, except pursuant to the over-allotment option.

The telco said it would remain a “long-term strategic shareholder” in Airtel Money and support the business as it moves into its next phase as an independently listed company.

Based on current indications from existing shareholders, approximately 16.5 per cent of Airtel Money’s issued ordinary share capital is expected to be held in public hands if the over-allotment option is not exercised.

This could rise to approximately 17.5 per cent if the maximum additional shares are sold, according to Airtel Africa.

Airtel Money expects the level of public ownership to make it eligible for inclusion in the FTSE UK indices.

The company said it intends to apply for admission of its ordinary shares to the equity shares category of the Official List of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and for trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market.

Airtel Money said further details of the offer would be contained in its prospectus, which it said would be made available on Airtel Money’s IPO website, subject to applicable access restrictions, on Thursday.

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Airtel Africa has been planning to spin off its mobile money business from its core telecoms operations following the financial subsidiary’s performance in previous years.

Its mobile money unit, Airtel Money, logged a strong performance in 2025, recording $1.4 billion in turnover, more than one-third higher than what it reported a year before.

Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with operations in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Airtel Africa provides an integrated offer to its subscribers, including mobile voice and data services, as well as mobile money services, both nationally and internationally.