A deep dive into mobile network performance data from H1 2025 reveals a decisive speed advantage for Safaricom over its main competitor, Airtel, in the Kenyan market.
According to Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data, Safaricom secured a significant lead in both overall mobile performance and next-generation 5G speeds, cementing its position as Kenya’s top-performing network.
Safaricom’s network, which encompasses all technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G), delivered median download and upload speeds that were more than 2.4 times higher than those achieved by Airtel:
| Operator | Median Download Speed (All Technologies) | Median Upload Speed (All Technologies) |
| Safaricom | 43 Mbps | 15.11 Mbps |
| Airtel | 17.56 Mbps | 6.15 Mbps |
This massive performance gap between the two operators was the largest observed in any of the markets analyzed across Sub-Saharan Africa.
When focusing specifically on 5G, the performance disparity between the two networks became even more pronounced, with Safaricom reaching speeds nearly three times faster than Airtel’s:
| Operator | Median Download Speed (5G) | Median Upload Speed (5G) |
| Safaricom | 183.26 Mbps | 27.12 Mbps |
| Airtel | 61.27 Mbps | 9.06 Mbps |
Safaricom’s median 5G download speed reached 183.26 Mbps, with an upload speed of 27.12 Mbps, illustrating the effectiveness of its network strategy and investment in the latest technology.
While Safaricom is the clear domestic leader, its performance helps place the wider region’s telecom landscape into perspective.
- Operators in Southern Africa generally led the overall performance rankings.
- The performance of Safaricom and MTN Uganda put Eastern Africa ahead of Western Africa in terms of overall network download speeds.
Safaricom’s impressive speeds highlight the robust nature of the Kenyan mobile market, which benefits from a strong focus on digital services and a rapidly growing 5G subscriber base.