Vodacom nearly doubles customer base as African expansion fuels revenue surge
Looking ahead, Vodacom plans to integrate Vision 2030 into its operations, aiming for double-digit Ebitda growth.
Vodacom has expanded its footprint across Africa as part of its Vision 2025 strategy, acquiring Vodafone Egypt and extending network connectivity into Ethiopia through a Safaricom-led consortium, CEO Shameel Joosub said in the group's annual report released on Friday.
The move has helped Vodacom nearly double its customer base, from 115.5 million in 2020 to 211.3 million in 2025, including Safaricom. Revenue rose from R91 billion to R152.2 billion over the same period, while the company's profit and revenue profile increasingly reflects its broader, more diversified operations.
To meet growing data demand, Vodacom invested R20.3 billion in network infrastructure during the 2025 financial year, down slightly from R20.4 billion the year before. Improved energy availability reduced the need for resilience investments, enabling the group to focus more on network expansion.
Vodacom's 4G sites increased by 7.2% in 2025, bringing total network sites – including Safaricom – to nearly 48000, up from 31 000 in 2020. The company now ranks among Africa's largest tower owners.
Smartphone penetration across the group reached 64% in 2025, including Safaricom customers, supporting Vodacom's broader digital inclusion efforts. The group also acquired a 5G licence in Egypt, adding to spectrum acquisitions in Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania in 2024, and in South Africa the year before.
'This, alongside our focus on handset financing, rural coverage and digital inclusion, unlocks growth opportunities beyond mobile,' Joosub said.
Looking ahead, Vodacom plans to integrate Vision 2030 into its operations, aiming for double-digit Ebitda growth. The strategy will be driven by expanding fixed and mobile connectivity, deeper smartphone and data penetration, and acceleration of digital and financial services.
'Africa's strong population growth, urbanisation trends, a more favourable GDP outlook, and a youthful population all support long-term demand for digital services,' Joosub said, while cautioning that the group remains pragmatic in managing risks.
Joosub said while the group was well equipped to manage challenges within its control, it recognises the need to partner with like-minded stakeholders and participate in industry-wide cooperation and infrastructure sharing asthe sector matures.
Vodacom will also continue working with partners to expand infrastructure sharing, particularly in rural and fibre networks, while scaling its "Tech for Good" platforms to support broader access and shareholder value.
Executive pay and legal updates
Joosub earned R39.1 million in 2025, up from R34m in 2024. Chief financial officer Raisibe Morathi received R17.3m, compared to R16.56 million a year earlier.
On legal matters, Vodacom said it awaits the Constitutional Court's decision after applying for leave to appeal a February 2024 ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal in the long-running 'Please Call Me' case. The hearing was held on November 21, 2024.
Separately, the company has appealed an October 2024 decision by the Competition Tribunal blocking its proposed investment in fibre operator Maziv, part of Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH). The appeal is scheduled to be heard on July 22, 2025.
"Our goal is to resolve the matter amicably and reach a timely conclusion," Vodacom said.
BUSINESS REPORT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro Launch Underscores Impressive AI Investment, Local Inclusion, and Bold 2028 No. 1 Market Share Ambition
Following strong uptake of its AI-powered innovations in South Africa, HONOR has introduced the new HONOR 400 and HONOR 400 Pro . This is a launch that could further entrench the brand's momentum in the local mid-to-premium market. Unveiled at Kyalami Racecourse, the event brought together government and industry voices, including Communications Minister, The Honorable Mr. Solly Malatsi, underscoring the growing alignment between mobile innovation and digital policy. The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro marks a notable shift in normalising access to premium technology. These devices bring high-end features into a more accessible range, including: The first global rollout of Google Cloud's Veo 2 Image-to-Video tool , built directly into the phone's gallery AI Deepfake Detection and on-device call translation to meet the privacy and productivity demands, which can detect whether the participant in a video call is using deepfake technology. HONOR's 50× AI SuperZoom , intelligent editing tools and the incredible 200MP main sensor A 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery , IP-rated build quality and MagicOS 9.0 across the range and a big storage of 12+512G. The HONOR 400 is powered by a Snapdragon, while the 400 Pro introduces Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performance. Both devices are supported by Android updates and security patches, a rare commitment in this segment. The HONOR 400 Series is launched with a promotional offer: Buyers will receive R8000 worth of additional value in the form of the HONOR Choice Watch 2i, HONOR Choice Earbuds X7 Lite and an HONOR Choice Powerbank 10000mAh until 31 July 2025. Available from Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C, the HONOR 400 is priced from 12,999 and the HONOR 400 Pro from R17,999. With hardware innovation backed by long-term AI investment, HONOR is further positioning itself as both a product leader and a strategic player in South Africa's mobile economy.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro Launch Underscores Impressive AI Investment, Local Inclusion, and Bold 2028 No. 1 Market Share Ambition
HONOR has introduced the new HONOR 400 and HONOR 400 Pro Image: Supplied Following strong uptake of its AI-powered innovations in South Africa, HONOR has introduced the new HONOR 400 and HONOR 400 Pro. This is a launch that could further entrench the brand's momentum in the local mid-to-premium market. Unveiled at Kyalami Racecourse, the event brought together government and industry voices, including Communications Minister, The Honorable Mr. Solly Malatsi, underscoring the growing alignment between mobile innovation and digital policy. The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro marks a notable shift in normalising access to premium technology. These devices bring high-end features into a more accessible range, including: The first global rollout of Google Cloud's Veo 2 Image-to-Video tool , built directly into the phone's gallery AI Deepfake Detection and on-device call translation to meet the privacy and productivity demands, which can detect whether the participant in a video call is using deepfake technology. HONOR's 50× AI SuperZoom , intelligent editing tools and the incredible 200MP main sensor A 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery , IP-rated build quality and MagicOS 9.0 across the range and a big storage of 12+512G. With hardware innovation backed by long-term AI investment, HONOR is further positioning itself as both a product leader and a strategic player in South Africa's mobile economy. Image: Supplied The HONOR 400 is powered by a Snapdragon, while the 400 Pro introduces Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performance. Both devices are supported by Android updates and security patches, a rare commitment in this segment. The HONOR 400 Series is launched with a promotional offer: Buyers will receive R8000 worth of additional value in the form of the HONOR Choice Watch 2i, HONOR Choice Earbuds X7 Lite and an HONOR Choice Powerbank 10000mAh until 31 July 2025. Available from Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C, the HONOR 400 is priced from 12,999 and the HONOR 400 Pro from R17,999. With hardware innovation backed by long-term AI investment, HONOR is further positioning itself as both a product leader and a strategic player in South Africa's mobile economy. The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro marks a notable shift in normalising access to premium technology. These devices bring high-end features into a more accessible range. Image: Supplied
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro Launch underscores impressive AI Investment, Local Inclusion, and Bold 2028 No.1 market share ambition
Following strong uptake of its AI-powered innovations in South Africa, HONOR has introduced the new HONOR 400 and HONOR 400 Pro. This is a launch that could further entrench the brand's momentum in the local mid-to-premium market. Unveiled at Kyalami Racecourse, the event brought together government and industry voices, including Communications Minister, The Honorable Mr. Solly Malatsi, underscoring the growing alignment between mobile innovation and digital policy. The HONOR 400 & 400 Pro marks a notable shift in normalising access to premium technology. These devices bring high-end features into a more accessible range, including: The first global rollout of Google Cloud's Veo 2 Image-to-Video tool , built directly into the phone's gallery , built directly into the phone's gallery AI Deepfake Detection and on-device call translation to meet the privacy and productivity demands, which can detect whether the participant in a video call is using deepfake technology. and to meet the privacy and productivity demands, which can detect whether the participant in a video call is using deepfake technology. HONOR's 50× AI SuperZoom , intelligent editing tools and the incredible 200MP main sensor , intelligent editing tools and the incredible 200MP main sensor A 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery, IP-rated build quality and MagicOS 9.0 across the range and a big storage of 12+512G. The HONOR 400 is powered by a Snapdragon, while the 400 Pro introduces Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performance. Both devices are supported by Android updates and security patches, a rare commitment in this segment. The HONOR 400 Series is launched with a promotional offer: Buyers will receive R8000 worth of additional value in the form of the HONOR Choice Watch 2i, HONOR Choice Earbuds X7 Lite and an HONOR Choice Powerbank 10000mAh until 31 July 2025. Available from Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C, the HONOR 400 is priced from 12,999 and the HONOR 400 Pro from R17,999. With hardware innovation backed by long-term AI investment, HONOR is further positioning itself as both a product leader and a strategic player in South Africa's mobile economy.
