Engaging our auditor

Our committee manages the Group’s relationship with the external auditor. Each year, we assess their performance, effectiveness and independence and recommend their reappointment or removal to the Board.

The Group’s external auditor is Deloitte, and the lead partner is Ryan Duffy.

Effectiveness of the external audit process

Our committee makes recommendations to the Board on whether to reappoint the external auditor, their independence from our business, and the scope and fee for the audit. After reviewing and challenging the work done by Deloitte during the year, we approved its terms of engagement and are fully satisfied with its performance, objectivity, quality of challenge and independence.

As outlined in the FRC’s Audit Committees and External Audit: Minimum Standard, in May 2025, the Committee performed an annual effectiveness of the external audit process. Based on feedback obtained from both committee members and management through different forms which included tailored surveys, the Committee was satisfied that the audit was performed to a sufficiently high standard.

The committee was notified during the year that the Audit Quality Review Team (AQRT) of the UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC), had completed their review of Deloitte’s audit file for the March 2024 audit of the Group. The review was part of the AQRT’s routine annual inspection process. The focus of the review and their reporting is on identifying areas where improvements are required rather than highlighting areas performed to or above the expected level. The chair of the committee received a full copy of the findings of the AQRT and has discussed these with Deloitte. The committee confirmed that there were no significant areas for improvement identified, there were no key findings within the report and was satisfied that there is nothing within the report which might have a bearing on the audit appointment. Good practice was identified in the area of the Group audit team’s oversight and the Committee considered this as part of its annual effectiveness evaluation process.

We recommended to the Board that they be reappointed as our external auditor for the 2026 financial year. The Board will recommend this to shareholders at our 2025 AGM.

Our committee works in line with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the FRC Guidance on Audit Committees and EU regulations on audit reform for our external audit tendering timetable.

We will continue to follow the annual appointment process until our next competitive tender. In line with current regulations, our next mandatory tender will be in readiness to retain our current auditor or move to a new audit firm for the 2029 financial year. This timetable is subject to an annual assessment of Deloitte’s effectiveness and independence. The Group has not undertaken a tender since IPO in 2019.

Our choice of auditor is not restricted by contractual obligations or a minimum appointment period. We’ve complied with the provisions of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Order for this financial year relating to audit rotation and tendering and the provision of non-audit services.

Working with our auditor

The lead external audit partner and his team attend our committee meetings to provide insight and challenge and to report on their review of the half year results and audit of the year-end financial statements. To facilitate open dialogue and assurance, we also hold private sessions with our auditor without management present.

Our committee chair regularly meets with Deloitte outside scheduled committee meetings.

A number of external audit teams participate in the audit, given the need to report both our own financial results and to report to our parent company, Bharti Airtel.

Throughout the year, audit teams deliver:

• A half year review report on Airtel Africa’s interim condensed consolidated financial statements by Deloitte UK
• The audit report on Airtel Africa’s consolidated and company-only financial statements signed by Deloitte UK
• Local statutory accounts audited by each Deloitte Africa team, with some of this work done by Deloitte India

During its half year and full year results reporting, Deloitte did not report any significant deficiencies in controls or issues with our accounting judgements and estimates.

Our committee receives a detailed audit plan from Deloitte identifying key risks and areas of focus. We review and challenge this external audit plan, including audit scope and materiality, to make sure Deloitte has identified all key risks and developed robust audit procedures and communication plans. We also look at the quality of auditors’ reports throughout the year and consider responses to accounting, financial control and audit issues as they arise.

During the year, Deloitte visited four of our top seven OpCos. While they had planned to visit a further three, local travel restrictions (in the DRC, for example) prevented this. Deloitte oversaw their component auditors in these OpCos virtually. Deloitte also visited the shared service centre in India and the Group finance team in Dubai, and facilitated a Group-wide planning session with component audit teams in India.

Using our auditor for non-audit services

We safeguard auditor independence and objectivity through a number of control measures, including limiting the nature and value of non-audit services performed by the external auditor.

Bearing in mind the need for relationships with other audit firms, where we consider our external auditor to have the most appropriate skills, expertise and safeguards, we may use them for certain acceptable non-audit services. We will only do so in line with law or regulation or where there are significant efficiencies to be had when this is done in combination with the audit. Their knowledge of our business may make such services more cost effective and ensure confidentiality.

Our non-audit services policy sets out the circumstances in which the external auditor can provide non-audit services to the Group.

It restricts the provision of non-audit services to those allowable under the FRC Revised Ethical Standard and provides a monetary threshold to management for pre-approved limit.

Under our policy, the committee has delegated authority to the CEO and CFO to approve permitted non-audit services up to $50,000, with any amount above this needing committee approval. Our committee reviews and approves any non-audit services with fees above the monetary threshold or not stipulated by the non-audit services policy.

Our review of the auditor’s performance during the reporting period included non-audit services and the ability of Deloitte to maintain independence while providing these services.

Non-audit services work for the financial year included:

• Half year review work for our company
• A non-statutory audit of the Airtel Mobile Commerce B.V. financial statements, alongside certain of its subsidiaries
• Internal control attestation in Zambia and Nigeria required by local regulations
• Certification of Smartcash Payment Services Bank Limited’s customers’ deposits required by local regulations in Nigeria
• Mobile money regulatory reporting required by local regulations in Uganda
• UK Single Electronic Format (UKSEF) ESEF assurance
• Interim review of financial statements required by regulation in Chad, DRC and Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside tax attestation in the DRC
• Agreed upon procedures on certain ESG metrics
• Audit work on financial information for the purpose of BAL quarterly reporting

The value of this was $2.7m, representing approximately 31% of Deloitte’s total remuneration as set out in note 8.1 to the consolidated financial statements.