NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenyan telecom operator Safaricom on Thursday reported a 3.5% jump in its group earnings before interest and tax to 94.9 billion Kenyan shillings ($724.4 million) for the financial year ended March.
The group EBIT also exceeded the company's forecast of 87 to 93 billion shillings.
The group, which is part owned by South Africa's Vodacom and Britain's Vodafone, also has shares in Safaricom Ethiopia.
The group launched its Ethiopia network in 2022, betting that the populous nation will power growth after about five years of investment.
The company's forecast group EBIT for the current year ending in March 2025 of 103 to 109 billion shillings, Group CEO Peter Ndegwa told an investor briefing.
The company also declared a total dividend 1.20 shillings per share.
($1 = 131.0000 Kenyan shillings)
(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Writing by Tannur Anders; Editing by Jamie Freed and Varun H K)
