MTN SA Data Revenue Grows But Service Revenue Flat; Nigeria Outperforms at 31%

MTN South Africa's data revenue grew 6% in Q3 2026, but service revenue remained flat year-on-year, highlighting a widening gap between surging data consumption and revenue generation. Network traffic jumped 28% while postpaid customers now average 32.8GB monthly—yet prepaid revenue fell 2.4% and the customer base shrank to 39 million.

The contrast across MTN's footprint is stark: Nigeria's data revenue surged 31.4% in Q3, Ghana 39.9%, while South Africa's 6% growth lags behind. Uganda's growth also slowed to 7.8% as unauthorized Wi-Fi resellers diverted mobile data usage. MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita acknowledged South Africa remains below medium-term growth targets, though prepaid trends show month-on-month improvement.

For Nigerian subscribers and investors, the divergence signals that MTN Nigeria's data monetization is working—driven by smartphone penetration and bundle uptake—while South Africa grapples with affordability pressures and alternative connectivity competition. MTN is pivoting to fixed wireless access and fibre in SA to restore low-to-mid single-digit service revenue growth, with EBITDA margins already expanding to 38.1% from cost cuts.

Will MTN Nigeria sustain its 31% data revenue growth as smartphone adoption deepens, or will affordability ceilings eventually mirror South Africa's challenges?

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/11/09/mtn-data-boom-revenue-growth/