Digital inclusion

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Digital inclusion

Our purpose is to transform the lives of individuals, families and communities across Africa – building opportunities for better futures

Rural penetration

Rural penetration

Increasing the penetration of mobile telephony in rural areas is a vital first step towards digital inclusion. For people to buy, use and understand their devices and digital services they must have access to local retail and support within a walking distance from their homes.
Affordability

Affordability

We offer and continue to develop a range of attractive and affordable options for data bundles, home broadband and smartphone purchases to our customers.
Convenient payment solutions

Convenient payment solutions

We expand and develop convenient payment solutions for our customers so that they’re able to access digital services as and when they need to, 24/7.

We continue to invest in our infrastructure providing more people than ever with access to digital services, particularly in rural areas

The expansion of our network is critical to digital inclusion. It is supported by increasing availability of mobile telephony, smartphone penetration and home broadband through the provision of retail and support services in our markets.

Retail touchpoints for customers

For people to buy, use and understand their devices and digital products, they need local access to retail services as well as affordable smartphones and customer support. We continue to enhance our distribution channels, making our services more accessible, especially in rural areas.

Full range of digital services

Our strategy is to make digital services more accessible and affordable. This is particularly important in the markets, where the impact of telecommunications serves as a catalyst for empowerment and progress.

Convenient payment solutions

Convenient payment solutions are critical to providing access to digital services, and we continue to focus on ensuring our customers have uninterrupted access to our services 24/7. Growth in the use of our self-care app MyAirtel highlights our success in broadening access to digital and mobile money services.

A more inclusive digital world

Our vision for a more inclusive digital world, where everyone can benefit from the digital age, is supported by expanding our network and increasing our products and services. As a result, millions of people have access to digital communications, banking and payment solutions, including educational resources for the first time in their lives.

166.1

million

total customers in 2024/25 (+8.7%)
72%

population covered in rural areas
1.9

million

recharge selling outlets
44.8%

smartphone penetration
Digital inclusion in action

Empowering one million Rwandans through our transformational smartphone programme

Digital inclusion is at the heart of our sustainability strategy and is one of the most powerful levers we have to transform lives and support the communities and economies in which we work.
 
To drive digital inclusion, we need to make digital services more accessible – both through the expansion of our 4G and 5G networks, and through encouraging the availability and use of smartphones across our 14 markets. We also need to ensure owning and using a smartphone is affordable – which is why we work with manufacturers and handset financing companies on programmes that bring smartphones within reach of customers, and make sure our own data products are consistently good value.

Find out more

Empowering one million Rwandans through our transformational smartphone programme.

Digital inclusion is at the heart of our sustainability strategy and is one of the most powerful levers we have to transform lives and support the communities and economies in which we work.
 
To drive digital inclusion, we need to make digital services more accessible – both through the expansion of our 4G and 5G networks, and through encouraging the availability and use of smartphones across our 14 markets. We also need to ensure owning and using a smartphone is affordable – which is why we work with manufacturers and handset financing companies on programmes that bring smartphones within reach of customers, and make sure our own data products are consistently good value.
 
These themes have come together this year in an extraordinary programme in Rwanda, where in October 2023 we partnered with the Rwandan government to launch the ConnectRwanda 2.0 initiative. The programme aims to accelerate Rwanda’s digital capability by providing more than a million people in the country with high-speed, cutting-edge LTE smartphones by the end of 2024 – supported by a generous contribution by Reed Hastings, the co-founder and Chairman of Netflix.
 
In addition to the affordable smartphone and tailored data packages, subscribers will also enjoy 1GB of data daily and unlimited calls to any network in Rwanda. The initiative is already having a transformational impact. Since the launch of this programme, as of 31 March 2024, smartphone penetration in Rwanda has increased from 21% to 34%. We hope that the benefits will cross generations, as the initiative joins up with the work we’re doing in Rwanda with the government and UNICEF to support teachers and schools.
 

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