Telecoms giant reports Ush367.5bn profit despite higher costs, regulatory changes and network disruptions Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda’s profits rose by almost 38% in the first half of 2026, as growing demand for mobile data and digital financial services helped the technology company withstand a …
Read More »Safaricom acquisition turns fintech into Vodacom’s biggest growth engine
Taking control of Safaricom is accelerating Vodacom’s shift from a traditional telecommunications operator into a digital financial services business powered by M-PESA. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | South Africa-headquartered Vodacom is entering its biggest strategic reset in decades after taking control of Safaricom, the Kenyan telecommunications …
Read More »MTN further clarifies July 5 service disruption
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | “We are sorry to our customers who were affected by the service disruption that happened on Sunday.” That apology dominated a media briefing addressed by top MTN Uganda officials at the company’s headquarters in Kampala on July 7, as management sought to explain …
Read More »MTN outage disrupts calls, internet and mobile money services
Kampala, Uganda | URN | The disruption began around midday and became more widespread from about 1 p.m., with subscribers reporting that they could neither make nor receive calls, access mobile data, nor complete Mobile Money transactions. After several hours of disruption, MTN Uganda acknowledged the outage, attributing it to …
Read More »Uganda’s betting boom
A digital gambling revolution is swelling state revenues—but regulators fear the costs of success NEWS ANALYSIS | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s gaming industry has become one of the country’s most striking digital-economy success stories, generating record revenues for the government as online betting, mobile money and football fandom converge …
Read More »Airtel Africa profit more than double to $813m
Data is now Airtel Africa’s main revenue driver, overtaking voice, while mobile money continues to grow in importance Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Airtel Africa has reported a sharp rise in annual profit, with profit after tax more than doubling to $813m in the year to March 2026, …
Read More »New tax proposals could hit the poor and small firms
Mobile money operators also highlighted the effect of digital transaction taxes on usage, noting that higher costs are already prompting some consumers to revert to cash Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s proposed tax measures for the 2026/27 financial year have drawn criticism from civil society groups, …
Read More »Gov’t refuses to reduce tax on mobile money
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Ugandans using mobile money platforms will continue to contend with the 0.5 percent tax to withdraw cash, a tax that has been blamed for the high cost and low uptake of digital money. The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, declined to include the …
Read More »MTN Uganda profit jumps to Shs 678.8bn as data, fintech drive growth
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As Uganda’s digital economy gathers pace, MTN Uganda says demand for connectivity and digital financial services continued to drive growth in 2025, underlining the expanding role telecommunications companies now play in the country’s economic life. For the year ended December 31, the telecoms operator reported …
Read More »Uganda’s digital payments test
As Uganda accelerates its cashless ambitions, there is debate about whether it can truly leave cash behind Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Uganda’s financial ecosystem has made a tremendous shift towards mobile money transactions — led by platforms like MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda — which now move trillions …
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