Airtel Africa

Separating critical systems across locations to maintain service continuity 

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Climate and nature-related risk: Flooding, extreme weather and power disruption affecting telecommunications infrastructure, data centres and digital transactions
Solution pathway: Geographically separated recovery sites; redundant infrastructure; regular recovery exercises

Business type: Large telecommunications and mobile financial-services provider 
Sector: Telecommunications and digital financial services 
Geography: Fourteen markets across sub-Saharan Africa

In practice

Airtel Africa’s communications and mobile-money services depend on reliable networks, data centres and IT systems. Its 2025 sustainability report describes responding to heavy rain and flooding by reinforcing exposed sites and deploying disaster-recovery measures to sustain connectivity.

The company’s 2026 annual report documents geographically redundant recovery sites supporting network and IT infrastructure across its operating companies. During 2025/26, it completed a redesign of its recovery strategy across primary and backup locations and tested whether systems could switch reliably between them. 

Its 2026 sustainability report also records monthly disaster-recovery drills, annual tabletop exercises and standardised recovery objectives. Together, these measures address both the availability of alternative infrastructure and the procedures needed to use it. Geographic separation reduces the chance that one local event disables both primary systems and their backup, while exercises reveal weaknesses before an emergency. 

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Why this example was selected

The case connects reported responses to severe weather with specific measures for maintaining digital services. Airtel Africa also reports maintaining ISO 22301 business-continuity certification across its operating companies, with an external certification record available through TÜV Rheinland’s Certipedia register. This provides assurance about its management processes, alongside company reporting on implementation, without implying that certification guarantees uninterrupted service during every event. 

Key lesson

Place recovery capacity where it is unlikely to share the same physical disruption as primary systems. Test whether essential services can switch successfully, with clear responsibilities, recovery objectives and procedures. 

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