Airtel Africa Signs Landmark AI Partnership with Xtelify to Revolutionise Telecom Operations in 14 Markets
Airtel Africa has entered into a multi-million dollar, multi-year partnership with Xtelify, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, to roll out advanced AI-powered software platforms across its 14 African markets. This move is aimed at transforming telecom operations, improving customer experience, and combating fraud across the continent.
Through the deal, Airtel Africa will implement the Xtelify Data Engine and Xtelify Work platforms, giving 150,000 field agents access to real-time market insights and enabling micro-targeted business strategies.
Key Goals of the Airtel-Xtelify AI Partnership
This strategic agreement is designed to:
- Simplify complex telecom operations
- Enhance customer engagement via real-time, secure, omnichannel communication
- Increase average revenue per user (ARPU)
- Reduce customer churn
- Improve fraud prevention and spam detection
“This partnership marks a transformative leap in our mission to build Africa’s digital future,” said Jacques Barkhuizen, Group Chief Information Officer at Airtel Africa.
Powered by India’s Proven AI Success
Airtel Africa will also deploy Xtelify IQ, a platform already proven in India, to power hyper-personalised customer experiences. The success of this platform in India demonstrates its scalability and effectiveness, making it a powerful tool in Airtel Africa’s digital transformation journey.
“Combining our Xtelify platform with Airtel Africa’s vision will allow us to address industry-wide challenges like spam and fraud,” said Binod Srivastava, Chief Business Officer at Bharti Airtel.
Airtel Cloud: Next-Level Infrastructure Support
As part of the broader announcement, Bharti Airtel also introduced the Airtel Cloud, a sovereign, telco-grade cloud platform capable of handling 1.4 billion transactions per minute.
The Airtel Cloud, initially designed for Indian operations, is built on sustainable data centres and supported by 300+ certified cloud experts. It offers:
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
- Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
- Advanced connectivity
- Generative AI-powered provisioning
AI Adoption Accelerates Among African Telcos
Airtel Africa’s AI push reflects a wider trend among African telecommunications companies. MTN Group recently announced multiple AI deployments under its MTN Genova transformation programme.
MTN’s AI Use Cases Include:
- Network traffic optimisation in Nigeria
- Intelligent fuel management for data centres in South Africa
- Dynamic energy usage in Benin
- Fibre cut detection in Côte d’Ivoire
These moves signal a shift in the telecom sector, where AI is no longer a buzzword but a foundational technology for efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.
Why This Matters
Airtel Africa’s partnership with Xtelify is a bold step toward digitising Africa’s telecom landscape. With real-time insights, fraud detection, and intelligent customer engagement tools, Airtel aims to lead in AI-driven telecom innovation on the continent.
