Vodacom Group has been recognized as Africa’s Top Employer in 2025, an award that acknowledges excellence in human resources, innovation, and ethical artificial intelligence. The Group achieved an impressive overall Top Employer score of 99.56%.
The certification, awarded by the Top Employers Institute, is a rigorous assessment of Human Resources (HR) practices. It evaluates how effectively companies integrate their HR frameworks, foster a positive culture, and enhance the employee experience in alignment with international standards.
This latest award marks the third consecutive win for Vodacom Group, underscoring its sustained commitment to delivering an exceptional employee experience. The certification process encompasses 20 critical HR domains, including people strategy, talent acquisition, learning and development, and leadership development.
Leadership Perspective on the Recognition
Vodacom Group Chief Executive, Shameel Joosub, highlighted the significance of this award in relation to the company’s Vision 2030 journey. He stated, "Not only is this testament to our consistency in leading with purpose, but it also shows that our people-centric approach and focus on talent development and workplace culture is impactful."
Subsidiary Recognitions and Performance
In addition to the group-level award, Vodacom's subsidiaries in Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania, along with Safaricom Ethiopia and Kenya, also received individual certifications.
Vodacom Mozambique achieved the highest score within the group at 99.96%, followed by Vodacom South Africa with 99.88%, and Vodacom Tanzania with 99.76%. Safaricom Ethiopia and Safaricom Kenya each secured first-place rankings in their respective countries, further demonstrating the group's widespread excellence in HR practices.
Matimba Mbungela, the group’s Chief Human Resources Officer, commented on the achievement, stating that the award signifies a sustained commitment to creating an "exceptional employee experience" for society. He added, "We are incredibly proud to maintain our position as Africa’s Top Employer for the third consecutive year. We believe that the well-being and empowerment of our employees contributes directly to our ability to fulfil our purpose of connecting for a better future."
The consistent recognition over three years reflects Vodacom's ability to foster workforce innovation and creativity. The award also acknowledges the integration of ethical practices, technological advancements, and the positive human impact of AI within organizational processes.
Vodacom Group Financial Performance in 2025
Vodacom Group's financial performance in 2025 demonstrated robust growth. In its interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2025, the company reported a 32.3% increase in headline earnings per share (HEPS) to 467 cents.
Group revenue saw a significant rise of 10.9% to R81.6 billion, with normalized growth at 12.1% after accounting for currency fluctuations. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) climbed by 14.7% to R30.5 billion, indicating consistent margin improvements across most of its operations.
In South Africa, Vodacom's largest market, service revenue grew by 2.2% to R31.7 billion. The international operations, which include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania, also performed strongly, delivering 13.3% local currency growth to R16.7 billion.
Strategic Investment in Safaricom
A significant strategic move during the year involved Vodacom Group's initiative to acquire an additional stake in Safaricom. This proposed deal entails acquiring 15% of the Government of Kenya’s issued shares, valued at $1.6 billion (KSh 204.3 billion). Upon completion, this transaction will increase Vodacom's stake in Safaricom from 40% to 55%.
The Government of Kenya has initiated the process of selling this 15% stake in Safaricom PLC to Vodacom Group. This partial divestiture is anticipated to generate approximately $1.6 billion (KES 204.3 billion) for the government. The total proceeds are projected to reach $1.9 billion (KES 244.5 billion) when an upfront dividend monetization component is included in the transaction.