Airtel Africa to Pay Shareholders US$1.5 Interim Dividend for 2020/21 Half Year

Airtel Africa, one of the leading telecommunications companies in Africa, announced that the Board has approved US$1.5 cents (one and half cents of the United States Dollar) per ordinary share as an interim dividend for the half-year of 2020/21.

In a statement signed by Simon O’Hara, Group Company Secretary and sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the telecoms giant said the dividend would be paid around December 11th, 2020.

This, it said would be done in United States Dollars, however, the company offers shareholders to elect to receive payment in Pounds Sterling or Naira through Currency Elections.

Below is Airtel Africa dividend timetable dates:

Ex-dividend date: 12 November 2020
Record date: 13 November 2020
Payment date: On or around 11 December 2020

The statement reads in part, “Details regarding the default currency and options on currency election for the dividend, and the currency exchange rates that will be applicable in determination of the Half Year 2020-21 interim dividend payment to any shareholders that qualify for and have elected to receive the Half Year 2020-21 interim dividend payment in Pounds Sterling or Naira, will be issued in due course.”

The declaration was after Airtel’s strong first-half financial results. The company posted $1.82 billion in revenue for the period under review.

Also, services with voice revenue grew by 7 percent with data and mobile money appreciating by 33.4 percent and 30.4 percent, respectively.

Airtel operating profit increased by 19.5 percent to $472 million, representing an increase of 28.3 percent in constant currency. The company’s free cash flow stood at $319 million, up from $210 million filed in the same period of last year.