Vodacom Crosses 237 Million Customer Mark as 2026 ESG Report Tracks Africa’s Digital Transformation

Vodacom Group  has launched its FY2026 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Suite , detailing the Group’s performance across its three purpose pillars: empowering people, protecting the planet, and maintaining trust.

The report covers the financial year ended 31 March 2026 and spans Vodacom’s operations across South Africa, Egypt, Tanzania, the DRC, Mozambique and Lesotho, with selected metrics reflecting the Group’s 34.9% stake in Safaricom Kenya.

Scale and reach

Vodacom’s mobile networks covered 595.8 million people in FY2026, serving 237.3 million customers including Safaricom. The Group added 26 million customers during the year, more than double its original target of 10 million, prompting a revised Vision 2030 customer ambition of 275 million.

Financial services remained a core driver of inclusion. The Group reached 103 million financial services customers, of which 92.1 million used financial inclusion products and services including payments, savings, insurance and lending. Mobile money transactions processed through M-Pesa, VodaPay and Vodafone Cash platforms totalled US$525.6 billion across the reporting period.

Country-level impact

Beyond Group-level figures, the report highlights targeted country outcomes. In Egypt, digital healthcare solutions served 13.5 million people across 632 facilities, building on partnerships with government ministries to digitalise the national health insurance system. In Tanzania, 299,420 active M-Koba digital savings groups supported financial resilience, with total savings growing 81% year-on-year. In South Africa and Kenya, 99.4 million farmer e-vouchers have been issued since 2021 through Vodacom’s AgriTech platforms. In the DRC, four million customers accessed micro-overdraft services through M-Pesa Rallonge, developed in partnership with Access Bank.

Education access also expanded, with 4.0 million beneficiaries reached through the Group’s e-learning platforms and school connectivity programmes, up from 3.0 million in FY2025.

Environmental commitments

On climate, Vodacom reported that all operating companies maintained their ISO 50001 energy management certifications and matched 100% of grid electricity purchased with electricity from renewable sources through power purchase agreements and renewable energy certificates. Energy intensity improved to 0.27 megawatt-hours per terabyte of data, a 20% reduction on the prior year. The Group reported a 79% decrease in scope 1 and 2 market-based greenhouse gas emissions from its FY2020 baseline.

The Group also supported customers in avoiding 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through a range of Internet of Things solutions, a 35% increase on FY2025.

Governance and trust

Vodacom reported zero privacy fines and zero employee or contractor fatalities within its subsidiaries during the reporting period. The Group achieved Level 1 B-BBEE contributor status for the seventh consecutive year, and was recognised as the number one Top Employer in Africa for the third year running by the Top Employers Institute.

Speaking on the report’s release, Group CEO Shameel Joosub said the results reflected a year in which purpose and performance reinforced each other.

“FY2026 was a standout year in executing our purpose, delivering customer growth, positive societal impact and financial performance despite the geopolitical complexities. We believe that the most complex challenges can be reframed as opportunities, particularly when enabled by digital connectivity. At the heart of our approach is a simple guiding question: how can we make a meaningful difference?”

– Shameel Joosub, Group CEO, Vodacom

The Group’s ESG performance supports a R2 billion ESG loan directly linked to its purpose goals. The full FY2026 ESG Reporting Suite, including the ESG addendum, Climate and Nature report, and country ESG snapshots, is available at vodacom.com.