Part 6: Audit tender
An external competitive tender was started in 2025 and completed in 2026.
Deloitte were not invited to participate in this tender as they are subject to mandatory audit firm rotation at the Bharti Airtel Limited level in India.
Overview of audit tender process
As a UK public interest entity, Airtel Africa is required to put its external audit out to tender at least every ten years.
In line with the Financial Reporting Council’s Minimum Standard for Audit Committees on audit tendering, this committee began an external audit tender process in 2025. Four audit firms were invited to participate, comprising three of the Big Four firms and one challenger firm.
Our committee took a leading role in the end‑to‑end process, supported by management from issuing the request for proposal (RFP) through to making its recommendation to the Board.
We confirm that Airtel Africa is compliant with the requirements of The Statutory Audit Services for Large Companies Market Investigation (Mandatory Use of Competitive Tender Processes and Audit Committee Responsibilities) Order 2014, including those relating to the frequency and governance of audit tenders and the establishment of a policy on the provision of non‑audit services. Our tender process is outlined below.
RFP circulated to firms
Submission and response discussions with participating firms
Submission of detailed proposals
Presentation to committee by participating firms
Committee review of proposals and recommendation to Board
Board selection of preferred audit and announcement released to firms
Proposed auditor recommended to shareholders at the AGM
At the outset of the process, all participating firms were given access to a secure data room containing information designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Group’s structure, operations and risk profile. This was supplemented by presentations and meetings with senior management to enable firms to deepen their understanding of the business.
We reviewed the written proposals submitted by each firm and met with participating firms as part of the evaluation process. Firms were assessed against a range of criteria including:
- Relevant industry experience and understanding of risks across both the telecoms and fintech sectors
- The strength, depth and continuity of the proposed team
- Geographical reach and coverage
- Audit approach, including the use of digital audit tools
- Independence and objectivity
- Quality of the proposal
- Proposed audit fees
These criteria were incorporated into a structured scoring matrix which our committee completed after each firm’s presentation. We were satisfied that this tender process was robust, transparent and competitive, conducted with regard to auditor independence and applicable regulatory requirements.
Our committee recommended two firms, with a clear order of preference, to the Board. After due consideration, the Board agreed to recommend Ernst & Young LLP to shareholders for appointment as the Airtel Africa’s statutory auditor at the 2027 AGM.