MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda Distribute Record Dividends, Signalling Confidence in Digital Economy
Kampala,Uganda
MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda have both announced substantial dividend payouts this year, underscoring investor confidence and signalling sustained growth in the country’s telecom and fintech sectors. MTN announced a second interim dividend of Ush 10.5 per share — totalling Shs 235.1 billion to be paid on December 19, 2025, with book closure on December 1. The company’s nine-month financials show profit after tax at Shs 471.2 billion, while adjusted profit (excluding a one-off tax settlement) rose 26.7 % to Shs 582.1 billion. The fintech and data operations continue to underpin the revenue surge.
Airtel Uganda likewise declared an interim dividend earlier in 2025, reflecting its growing profitability and commitment to rewarding shareholders. Analysts view these payouts not just as corporate generosity, but as a clear sign that the digital economy — mobile money, internet data and digital services — is scaling up strongly in Uganda.
The success of telecom firms has broader implications for the Ugandan economy: the digital finance ecosystem is helping deepen financial inclusion, enabling everyday banking for millions. As mobile money and data services become embedded in daily life — from school fees to business transactions — telecom dividends may become a bellwether for economic resilience in a volatile global environment.
Why it matters
For investors and ordinary Ugandans alike, strong performances by telecoms suggest stability and growth potential in sectors beyond agriculture and traditional services. As mobile money and internet penetration rise, these sectors may increasingly shape livelihoods, savings behaviour, and business opportunities.
What to watch
Whether telecom firms reinvest these profits into expanding rural connectivity and infrastructure, or channel them into dividends again, will influence how inclusive — and widespread — the digital economy becomes in the coming years. Also, how regulators respond: will growth prompt new policies around fintech, data security and digital finance oversight?
