Airtime borrowing hits record N4.6tn across Africa

▤ Summary

Airtime borrowing across Africa reached a record N4.6 trillion in 2025 as consumers leaned more heavily on telecom-based credit to cope with inflation and weak household purchasing power. Optasia’s latest results show strong growth in airtime advances and nano-loans, with Africa generating almost all of the company’s global airtime credit volume. The article highlights how mobile networks and fintech platforms now play a larger role in everyday financial access, especially in markets with low formal banking penetration. It also notes rising credit losses, which point to growing repayment risk in the sector. Nigeria remains a key market as regulators debate how to open the airtime credit space to more local players.

▦ Linked Companies

Optasia

$10M to $25M