Telkom Consumer’s Data-Led Strategy Delivers Double-Digit Growth

Telkom Consumer has demonstrated the success of its data-focused strategy with impressive financial results, including double-digit growth in mobile revenue and subscriber numbers.

The Telkom division, led by CEO Lunga Siyo, achieved a 10.2% increase in mobile service revenue to R20.9 billion, powered by a 12.3% surge in mobile data revenue – marking the second consecutive year of such strong performance.

“We delivered market expansion, revenue diversification and strong customer loyalty, while strategic investments in digital innovation and network resilience drove sustained profitability,” the company stated.

These results affirm Telkom Consumer’s position as South Africa’s fastest-growing mobile and fixed broadband provider, serving consumer, home and SME segments with holistic connectivity solutions.

The mobile business showed particular strength, with total subscribers growing 13.4% to reach 23.2 million. Prepaid subscriptions drove most of this growth, jumping 15.4% to 20.19 million, while the postpaid base remained stable at 3 million subscribers with a 3.1% ARPU improvement.

Data consumption patterns underscored this success, with mobile data traffic surging 24.1% to 1,759 petabytes. The mobile data subscriber base expanded even faster at 19.5%, reaching 15.2 million users who now represent 65.7% of Telkom’s total mobile customers.

“Our mobile data subscriber base expansion was fuelled by surging demand for seamless connectivity and value-optimised plans that resonate with our target market,” Telkom noted.

The fibre business complemented this mobile growth, with fibre-related data revenue climbing 15.5% through a combination of 3.4% subscriber growth and 12.4% ARPU improvement. Beyond core connectivity, digital services including airtime lending and insurance contributed R1.69 billion in revenue, demonstrating successful diversification.

Telkom Consumer’s performance reflects R2.8 billion in targeted mobile network investments, expanding coverage to 7,909 tower sites nationwide. With load shedding impacts diminishing and data traffic growing rapidly across both mobile (24.1%) and fixed (26.4%) networks, the division is well-positioned for continued expansion.

Group CEO Serame Taukobong emphasized the strategic importance of these results: “Mobile service revenue continued to outpace reported South African mobile market growth rates. This robust performance translated into a 10.2% increase in mobile service revenue, fuelled by a surge in data revenue of 12.3%.”

As Telkom Consumer builds on this momentum, it remains focused on three strategic pillars: expanding its data-centric mobile offerings, growing fibre penetration, and developing value-added digital services. With its proven ability to acquire customers and increase data usage, the division is set to maintain its position as a growth engine for Telkom Group.

The strong performance validates Telkom Consumer’s data-led approach while demonstrating the South African market’s appetite for affordable, reliable connectivity solutions. As digital transformation accelerates nationwide, Telkom Consumer’s network investments and service innovations position it to capture further growth opportunities in the years ahead.