REG - Airtel Africa PLC - Directorate change

Airtel AfricaAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 9742X  Airtel Africa PLC  25 March 2026

 

 

Airtel Africa plc

 

('Airtel Africa', or the 'Company')

 

Directorate Change

 

London and Lagos, 25 March 2026: Airtel Africa plc, a leading provider of
telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries
across Africa, announces the following Board changes.

Board Chair

Sunil Bharti Mittal has informed the Board of his intention to retire as Chair
of the Board at the conclusion of this year's AGM in July 2026. Mr. Mittal
has served as Chair since listing in 2019, and the Board thanks him for his
leadership and contribution during this period.

The Board is pleased to announce that Gopal Vittal will be appointed
Non‑Executive Chair of the Board with effect from the same date.

Mr. Vittal's appointment is by nomination of the controlling shareholder
pursuant to the terms of the relationship agreement dated 17 June 2019 between
the Company, Bharti Airtel, Airtel Africa Mauritius Limited, the majority
shareholder and an indirect subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, and Bharti Telecom.
Mr. Vittal is an established telecoms leader who led Bharti Airtel to a
life-time high revenue market share in an intensely competitive market and is
the current Board Chair of the GSMA. He was appointed a non-executive director
of Airtel Africa in October 2024.

The Board acknowledges that Mr. Vittal will not be independent on appointment
for the purposes of the UK Corporate Governance Code.

Shravin Bharti Mittal will assume the role of Deputy Chair with effect from
the same date. As Deputy Chair, Mr. Mittal will ensure continuity with the
founding family and significant shareholder, and will be the Board's conduit
with the Airtel Money Board, on which he serves, and with Airtel Africa's
headquarters in Dubai, where he is based.

Retirement of Annika Poutiainen

As part of the ongoing succession planning in respect of the Company's
Non-Executive Directors, Annika Poutiainen will also retire at the conclusion
of the July AGM, at which point she will have served for over seven years.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair, commented: "On behalf of the Board, I would like
to thank Annika for her significant contribution as a member of the Audit
& Risk Committee and for her leadership in establishing and embedding the
Group's sustainability strategy as Board sustainability champion. During her
tenure, she has been a strong advocate of high standards of governance and
financial reporting.

"At the same time, I want to extend my thanks to the Board of Airtel Africa
for their support to me as Chairman. Airtel Africa has a solid strategy and an
outstanding leadership team in place, the strength of which is evident in
recent results, so I am confident that now is the time for me to step aside as
Chair. It has been an honour to lead Airtel Africa in this capacity, and I
know the company will continue to prosper and to advance the transformative
power of connectivity to the millions of customers we serve across 14 African
countries. I have offered my services and will be available to support the
company as requested by the Chair."

Tsega Gebreyes, Senior independent director commented: "On behalf of the
Board, I would like to express my gratitude to Sunil for his dedicated service
and invaluable contributions to the Airtel Africa story, from its acquisition
in 2010, through to its listing in 2019 and to where we are today in the
FTSE100. Sunil is a titan of the global telecommunications industry, and his
exemplary leadership has been instrumental in guiding us through to our
current achievements. I am grateful that Sunil has agreed to be available to
support Airtel Africa as the need arises."

 

There are no further disclosures to be made pursuant to UKLR 6.4.6R.

 

 

Enquiries

 

 Airtel Africa - Investor Relations

 Alastair Jones                                  +44 7464 830 011

 Investor.relations@africa.airtel.com            +44 207 493 9315
 (mailto:Investor.relations@africa.airtel.com)

 

 Airtel Africa - Group Company Secretary

 Simon O'Hara                             +44 207 493 9315

 

About Airtel Africa

 

Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money
services, with operations in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Airtel Africa
provides an integrated offer to its subscribers, including mobile voice and
data services as well as mobile money services both nationally and
internationally. The company's strategy is focused on providing a great
customer experience across the entire footprint, enabling our corporate
purpose of transforming lives across Africa.

 

www.airtel.africa (http://www.airtel.africa)

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