Telkom Hits 25 Million Mobile Subscribers as Data Revenue Surges to 60% of Total Earnings

South African telecom giant Telkom has shared exciting third-quarter results for 2025, showing a big move towards data services. Data now makes up 60% of the company’s total earnings. This shift shows how the telecom world is leaving behind old phone calls for modern internet use.

In the third quarter, Telkom earned $701 million in revenue. That’s a 1.3% rise from the same time last year. Over the first nine months, revenue hit $2.09 billion, up 2.7%. The company’s mobile subscribers have grown past 25 million. Most of these users are active with mobile data, like streaming videos or browsing social media.

Data revenue jumped 9.6% in the quarter. Mobile data, key for apps and online scrolling, grew even faster at 12.9%. Fibre revenue, which powers home internet, rose by 8.9%. CEO Serame Taukobong said the company is putting all its energy into data growth. They are cutting back on older services that bring less profit.

Telkom Hits 25 Million Mobile Subscribers

Telkom’s mobile business is leading the way. Mobile service revenue climbed 7.2% in the quarter. Prepaid customers, who top up airtime as needed without contracts, spent 11.6% more than last year. Millions of South Africans are snapping up data bundles. They stream more videos, use apps daily, and skip traditional voice calls. Telkom now serves over 25 million mobile users. Of these, 19.3 million actively use mobile data. That number shot up 29.3% in just one year.

The Openserve division, which handles fibre, has connected nearly 787,000 homes to fast internet. Fibre lets whole families stream shows, play games, and work online without slowdowns. Telkom has built fibre lines to over 1.5 million homes. They add about 30,000 new connections each quarter.

Telkom is not just growing, it’s making more profit too. EBITDA, a measure of earnings before costs like interest and taxes, grew 8.4% to $204 million. The profit margin hit 29.1%. This means for every dollar earned, Telkom keeps about 29 cents as operating profit. Even while spending big on network upgrades, they improved margins.

How are they doing it? Telkom cut losses from unpaid bills. They trimmed extra costs and made the network run smoother. For instance, they shift customers from pricey old systems to cheaper, newer ones. In Q3, they invested $82 million in network growth. This covered new mobile towers, more fibre lines, and better equipment. Over nine months, total spending reached $263 million. Almost all went to mobile and fibre, not outdated voice services.

This plan is simple and smart. Telkom aims to sign up as many mobile data users as possible. They push to connect more homes with fibre. Meanwhile, the old voice-call business shrinks on its own. So far, it’s paying off big time.

With 25 million mobile subscribers and data at 60% of earnings, Telkom looks strong. South Africans want fast internet on phones and at home. Traditional calls are fading as people choose data for everything from Netflix to work apps. Telkom’s focus matches this trend perfectly.

The company’s growth in prepaid spending and fibre homes shows real demand. Active data users jumping 29.3% proves people rely on reliable connections. Investments in towers and lines set Telkom up for more wins. Cost savings keep profits healthy despite big spending.

As South Africa’s digital life booms, Telkom rides the wave. Data rules now, and the company is ready.

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