MTN Ghana has delivered another stellar quarter, with Scancom PLC posting profit after tax of GH¢2.5 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2026. This represents a remarkable 46.8 percent increase over the same period last year, signaling that Ghana's largest telecoms operator continues to capitalize on the country's digital transformation.
What particularly notable most is how dramatically the revenue mix has shifted. Data has become the undisputed king, generating GH¢4.3 billion in revenue — a staggering 52.3 percent jump year-on-year.
Data Demand Explodes Across Ghana
The numbers tell a compelling story about Ghana's digital appetite. Active data subscribers reached 20.6 million users, representing 16 percent growth year-on-year. Even more impressive is that average monthly usage per active user expanded by 40.9 percent to 18.8 gigabytes.
This surge stems from increased video streaming, social media consumption, and digital applications usage. I have observed similar trends across our AI and tech coverage, where African consumers are rapidly adopting data-intensive services.
Mobile Money Maintains Strong Growth
MTN's Mobile Money platform continues its impressive trajectory, with revenue rising 28.4 percent to GH¢1.7 billion. The service now serves 18 million active users across Ghana.
Advanced fintech services, including digital payments and lending, grew 42.2 percent to GH¢603.1 million. Basic transfer services surged even more dramatically at 65.2 percent to GH¢397.4 million.
Digital Services Double While Voice Declines
Digital revenue more than doubled, climbing 107.1 percent to GH¢170.1 million driven by gaming and content partnerships. This explosive growth demonstrates how MTN is successfully diversifying beyond traditional telecoms services.
Meanwhile, voice revenue declined 3.7 percent to GH¢916 million, reflecting the industry-wide shift toward Voice over Internet Protocol services. This trend mirrors what we are seeing across mobile communications globally.
Strong Financial Performance Metrics
Service revenue climbed 35.7 percent year-on-year to GH¢7.3 billion, with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rising 42.9 percent to GH¢4.5 billion. The EBITDA margin widened by 3.1 percentage points to 61.2 percent.
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett credited disciplined execution across all business lines for the strong performance. The company paid GH¢2.8 billion in direct and indirect taxes during the quarter, plus GH¢92.2 million in fees and levies to government agencies.
New Dividend Policy Rewards Shareholders
MTN Ghana announced a structural change to its dividend policy, now permitting interim dividend declarations after each quarterly result. Acting immediately, the Board declared an interim dividend of GH¢0.03 per share for Q1 2026.
MMFL also recommended a matching dividend of GH¢0.03 per share, bringing the combined first-quarter payout to GH¢0.06 per share. Both dividends are scheduled for payment on June 18, 2026, with a qualifying date of June 5, 2026.
These results underscore MTN Ghana's position as a dominant force in Ghana's digital economy, successfully navigating the shift from traditional telecoms to a comprehensive digital services provider.