Telkom has reported a solid set of interim results, with its focus on data services helping the group overcome a tough domestic economy and fierce competition. For the six months to the end of September 2025, revenue from continuing operations rose 3.4% to R22.1 billion, underpinned by strong performances in both mobile and fixed-line data offerings.
The company’s mobile division once again stood out, posting service revenue growth of 7.9% and expanding its mobile data customer base by more than a quarter to 18.5 million subscribers, according to the group’s latest financial update. Overall mobile data revenue climbed 10.3%, while fibre-connected data revenue across the group advanced 12.3%. Taken together, data now accounts for nearly 60% of Telkom’s total revenue, underlining the success of its strategic pivot away from legacy voice services.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased 7.4% to R6 billion, while adjusted headline earnings per share rose an impressive 16.4% to 305.6 cents. Group chief executive Serame Taukobong described the numbers as evidence that the data-led approach is delivering sustainable, high-quality growth even in difficult trading conditions.
The mobile business, which marked its fifteenth year of operation, achieved market-leading service revenue growth for the eleventh straight quarter through to June 2025, a streak that continued into the period under review, Business Day reported earlier this year when covering Telkom’s long-term mobile performance. Within the fixed-line infrastructure unit Openserve, revenue edged up 2.7%, helped by a 10.1% rise in fibre-related data income. The group’s technology services arm BCX also benefited from the fibre boom, recording a 13.8% increase in fibre data revenue alongside 10.4% growth in cloud services.
Beyond operational gains, Telkom continued to streamline its property portfolio, receiving R208 million from the sale of 18 non-core assets during the period. A further twelve properties valued at R71 million are in the final stages of transfer and are expected to complete before the financial year-end.
Taukobong acknowledged that subdued economic growth, heightened rivalry in both mobile and broadband markets, and cautious corporate spending on information and communications technology remain significant challenges for the group, as highlighted in the official results announcement released on 18 November 2025. He stressed, however, that Telkom’s extensive fibre network—built up over many years—gives it a structural advantage that the company intends to exploit through sharper bundled offerings and the ongoing OneTelkom integration initiative.
Looking ahead, management confirmed that revenue growth and disciplined cost management will stay front and centre in the second half of the financial year. The data-centric strategy, Taukobong reiterated, will remain the primary engine for expanding Telkom’s role as a cornerstone of South Africa’s digital infrastructure, as noted in the group’s SENS statement to shareholders.
Despite the macro-economic pressures facing the country, Telkom’s latest figures demonstrate that targeted investment in next-generation connectivity can still yield robust returns in a competitive landscape.