Safaricom PLC has reported a strong financial performance for the year ended March 31, 2026, marked by robust revenue growth, a record dividend payout to shareholders.The results reflect robust customer growth, rising digital adoption, and improving performance across both Kenya and Ethiopia operations.
Net Income Rises to KES 100 Billion
Group Net Income climbed to KSh100 billion driven by continued customer growth, increased adoption of digital services, and solid performance across core product lines.
Safaricom Record Dividend Payout to Shareholders
As part of its FY26 results, Safaricom announced a record dividend payout of 2 shillings per share, totalling KES 80.1 billion, representing a 66.7 per cent increase from the previous year.
This comprises an interim dividend of 85 cents per share, and a recommended final dividend of 1 shilling 15 cents per share, subject to shareholder approval, underscoring the company’s resilient balance sheet and confidence in its long term growth outlook.
“We have shown strong execution in the first year of our five-year strategy, signalling a great setup for delivering our vision. We delivered strong performance, with acceleration in the second half, surpassing Group guidance with outstanding Kenya performance offsetting the impact of currency reforms and the timing of market repair actions in Ethiopia,” said Peter Ndegwa, Group CEO, Safaricom PLC.
Strong Revenue Growth Driven by Digital Expansion
During the year, Safaricom Kenya service revenue increased by 10 per cent to KES 400.8 billion, while Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) grew by 15.3 per cent to KES 182.3 billion.
Safaricom reached a total of 71.6 million customers across the Group, reflecting continued trust in the brand and strong demand for digital connectivity and financial services.
Safaricom Group Revenue Hits KES 414 Billion as Net Income Reaches KES 100 Billion in FY26
“These results reflect a business that continues to demonstrate resilience and momentum. We have sustained strong growth in service revenue, driven by double digit growth in Kenya and accelerated growth in Ethiopia, while maintaining profitability despite continued investment in Ethiopia.
At the same time, we are beginning to see the benefits of scale in Ethiopia, with improving commercial momentum and narrowing start up costs. This balance, growth, investment, and discipline, is exactly what the Board expects at this stage of our journey,” said Adil Khawaja, Chairman, Safaricom PLC.
Ethiopia Operations Show Accelerating Momentum
Safaricom Ethiopia continued its growth momentum, contributing 12.5 per cent to the Group’s service revenue growth during the year. Subscriber numbers in Ethiopia increased to 13.6 million customers, supported by a stronger network now covering 60 per cent of the population with 3,504 sites.
M-PESA Strengthens Financial Services Leadership
M PESA adoption in Kenya also accelerated, with 41 million active customers generating a total of KES 182.7 billion in revenue during the year under review.
Guided by its purpose of transforming lives, Safaricom continued to invest in social impact initiatives across Kenya and Ethiopia. Through the Safaricom and M PESA Foundations, over 4.4 million lives were transformed during FY26 through programmes focused on education, health, and economic empowerment.
“We continue to invest in our network and IT systems to support capacity upgrades and user experience. Ethiopia’s performance shows reduced losses relative to the previous period, greatly boosting Group performance. We now move into the second year of our Vision 2030 strategy with a commitment to carry on our execution momentum,” said Dilip Pal, Group Chief Finance Officer, Safaricom PLC.
Key highlights:
• Group Service revenue grew by 11.5 per cent to KES 414.1 billion
• Mobile data revenue increased by 18.3 per cent to KES 92.9 billion
• M PESA revenue grew by 13.4 per cent to KES 182.7 billion
• Safaricom Ethiopia service revenue grew by 86.6% to KES 14.1 billion