Airtel Africa has launched a new digital advertising platform called Airtel Ads aimed at empowering businesses and agencies to more efficiently manage and optimise digital ad campaigns across Africa.
The demand-side platform, the first of its kind on the continent, allows advertisers to make informed decisions on ad placement by combining tools and functionalities into one unified interface. Airtel says Airtel Ads will leverage its extensive base of over 150 million customers in Africa, using data from mobile and financial services to target engaged individuals as well as the traditionally underserved 2G user base.
“We are excited to introduce Airtel Ads in Africa. This innovative platform will support advertisers and businesses to gain unprecedented control over their marketing campaigns, leveraging Airtel Africa’s extensive customer base and world class technology,” said Anthony Shiner, Airtel Africa’s Chief Commercial Officer.
The company says Airtel Ads will merge all ad networks with Airtel’s own telecoms data to provide precise audience targeting, dedicated support, advanced analytics and payment options in local currencies. Powered by AI tools, the platform promises brand safety along with weekly reach of over 27 billion impressions and 200 million daily SMS notifications.
Since its launch, Airtel Ads has seen 23.5 million daily in-app impressions. It aims to help businesses improve ad performance by seamlessly integrating with Airtel’s first-party data.
“Airtel Ads is a testament to our leadership in shaping the communications landscape in Africa, ensuring businesses are supported to achieve their objectives using data first tools to inform their business decisions,” added Shiner.
The new advertising solution comes as businesses look for more efficient ways to manage digital campaigns in Africa’s fast-growing but complex ad market. With its telecoms reach and mobile money services, Airtel hopes to attract users across the continent looking for wider market penetration.
