Safaricom (SCOM) reported a net profit of Ks23.9 billion, up 32.4% YoY, for the six months to September 2016, or its fiscal 1H2017. The profit works out to EPS (earnings per share) of Ks0.60, up from Ks0.45 a year ago. The company reported total revenue of Ks102.1 billion, up more than 5%, driven by gains in its Mpesa and mobile internet businesses.
Safaricom stock now trades in the vicinity of Ks21, sharply above the IPO price of Ks5 in 2008.
The carrier said 1H2017 marked the first time it has generated a majority of its service revenue outside calls or voice services. Non-voice services revenue grew 31.7% YoY and accounted for 53.4% of total revenue in 1H2017. Construction revenue plunged more than 99% YoY. The company registered Ks8.44 billion in construction revenue in the year-ago period.
Mpesa transactions increased 30% YoY to Ks3.2 trillion, with Mpesa revenue rising 33.7% to Ks25.9 billion. Mobile Internet revenue rose 46.3% YoY to Ks13.4 billion, with monthly active mobile internet users jumping to more than 14.9 million from 13.1 million a year ago, indicating a 13.7% increase.
Fastest growing businesses
The chart above shows Safaricom’s monthly active mobile internet subscribers growth trend.
Mpesa and mobile internet are Safaricom’s fastest growing businesses thanks to popularity of peer-to-peer money transfers and the proliferation of smartphones in the country. A flood of low-cost Chinese smartphones is fueling the uptake of the internet-enabled handsets in the country.
The chart above shows Safaricom’s monthly active mobile internet subscribers growth trend.
Mpesa and mobile internet are Safaricom’s fastest growing businesses thanks to popularity of peer-to-peer money transfers and the proliferation of smartphones in the country. A flood of low-cost Chinese smartphones is fueling the uptake of the internet-enabled handsets in the country.
Network expansion
Safaricom channeled Ks18.9 billion to capital expenditure in 1H2017, with the bulk of the spending going to network expansion and modernization. With mobile penetration in the country reaching saturation as 90% of the population now has a handset, Safaricom is betting on network quality to stay competitive. Safaricom is battling for market share with India’s Bharti Airtel and France’s Orange Telelcom.
The company said its total subscriber base expanded 6% to 26.6 million subscribers, giving it 65.2% share of the wireless market.
Safaricom exited 1H2017 with cash balance of Ks26.5 billion, up more than 100% from cash balance at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Fiscal 2017 outlook
Following the strong half-year results, Safaricom has boosted its full-year FY2017 earnings. The company now expects EBITDA, a key measure of profitability, in the band of Ks94 – Ks97 billion, up from the prior guidance for EBITDA of Ks89 – Ks92 billion.
Following the strong half-year results, Safaricom has boosted its full-year FY2017 earnings. The company now expects EBITDA, a key measure of profitability, in the band of Ks94 – Ks97 billion, up from the prior guidance for EBITDA of Ks89 – Ks92 billion.
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