Vodacom Expands African Footprint as Customer Base Surpasses 237 Million

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• The telecommunications giant says it remains focused on strengthening connectivity and accelerating digital inclusion across the continent.

The company recently announced that it had added approximately 26 million customers during its 2026 financial year, exceeding its previous growth targets. As a result, Vodacom has increased its long-term customer target to 275 million by 2030, up from an earlier goal of more than 260 million customers.

Johannesburg, South Africa — June 2026

A key driver of growth has been the continued expansion of Vodacom's financial services business, particularly the M-Pesa mobile money platform. The financial services customer base has grown to more than 103 million users, with transaction volumes exceeding $525 billion during the past financial year. The company has consequently raised its 2030 financial services target to 130 million customers.

Vodacom also invested R23.6 billion in network infrastructure and technology upgrades during the year, including the rollout of more than 6,000 new 5G sites and over 3,000 additional 4G sites across its markets. The investment aims to improve network resilience, expand coverage, and support increasing demand for digital services.

In South Africa, Vodacom continues to focus on extending connectivity to underserved communities. Previous investments have included major network expansion projects in rural areas and significant spending on digital inclusion initiatives, education technology, and spectrum acquisition.

The company has also strengthened its position in East Africa through an increased stake in Safaricom, Kenya's leading telecommunications provider. Vodacom believes the move will help accelerate the growth of M-Pesa and other digital financial services beyond their traditional markets.

Despite economic challenges in several markets, Vodacom reported double-digit growth in service revenue and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), supported by strong performances in Egypt, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.

Looking ahead, the group says it will continue investing in network expansion, renewable energy solutions for telecommunications infrastructure, and digital financial services as it seeks to drive inclusive growth and connectivity across Africa. ^{TechCentral, Vodacom, WSJ, IOL}

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