Airtel Africa has selected London as the preferred listing venue for its mobile money business, Airtel Money, later in 2026, as central banks in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa have all decided to hold their benchmark interest rates steady.
Airtel Africa announced the development recently, that it had chosen the London Stock Exchange for the planned listing of Airtel Money, subject to market conditions and regulatory approvals. The company’s chief executive officer, Sunil Taldar, said the London listing “will provide access to a broad international investor base and support our ambition to unlock the long-term value of one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms.”
Airtel Money operates across 14 African markets, providing digital payments, money transfers, merchant payments, and savings services. The platform has shown strong growth, with its customer base increasing by 23.3% to 56.5 million users. Annual, total, processed value rose by 51.5% to over $245 billion , while quarterly revenue for the mobile money business grew 38.9% to $404 million.
The company had previously considered listing the business but postponed due to market volatility and rising energy costs linked to geopolitical tensions.
In another coordinated move, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa have kept their benchmark interest rates unchanged this week.
Nigeria retained its Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5%. Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso said the decision followed a “thorough assessment of the balance of risks,” noting that while headline inflation had moderated slightly, “global uncertainties have heightened due mainly to the renewed hostilities in the Middle East.” Eleven members of the Monetary Policy Committee attended the meeting in Abuja.
Ghana held its policy rate at 14%. Governor Johnson Asiama said the unanimous decision was driven by concerns over rising global oil prices and the potential impact of the Middle East conflict on the domestic economy. Ghana’s inflation accelerated to a six-month high of 5.3% in June, up from 3.7% in May.
South Africa kept its own rate at 7%. The decision, announced on July 23, surprised many analysts who had expected a 25-basis-point increase. Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the Monetary Policy Committee voted 4-2 to hold rates, with two members favouring an increase. He noted the policy stance remains “appropriate for now” despite inflation rising to 5% in June from 4.5% in May.
All three central banks cited rising global oil prices driven by the renewed conflict in the Middle East as a key risk to inflation. Brent crude has been trading near $100 a barrel, threatening to push up import costs and fuel prices across the continent. The next MPC meetings are scheduled for September 2026 for all three countries.
