By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
Vodacom Group has reported
strong financial and operational results for the year ended March 31, 2026,
driven by growth in financial services, expanding digital infrastructure and
increasing customer adoption across its markets.
The group said revenue rose
10.1% to R167.7 billion, while service revenue increased 10.6% to R133.6
billion. EBITDA grew 12.8% to R62.6 billion, with headline earnings per share
increasing 22.9% to 1,053 cents.
Vodacom also announced a
final dividend of 405 cents per share, bringing the total dividend for the year
to 735 cents per share, an increase of 18.5%.
The company’s total customer
base grew by 26 million during the financial year to 237.3 million customers
across eight markets, while financial services customers increased 17.4% to 103
million, including Safaricom customers on a 100% basis.
Group Chief Executive
Officer Shameel Joosub said the results reflected a strong start to the
company’s Vision 2030 strategy, supported by revenue diversification and growth
across key markets.
He noted that the group made
significant progress through strategic investments, including an agreement to
acquire an additional 20% stake in Safaricom and the completion of a strategic
investment in Maziv aimed at expanding fibre connectivity in underserved
communities.
Vodacom said Egypt delivered
one of the strongest performances within the group, recording local currency
service revenue growth of 36.2% and EBITDA growth of 44.5%. The company’s
international operations also posted double-digit growth in markets including
Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lesotho.
Safaricom contributed R4.6
billion to Vodacom’s operating profit during the year, supported by continued
growth in Kenya and improving scale in Ethiopia, where customer numbers
increased 54.2% to 13.6 million.
Financial services remained
a major growth driver for the group, with related revenue increasing 19.6% to
R16.8 billion. Vodacom said transaction value processed across its fintech
platforms reached US$525.6 billion during the year.
The company also continued
investing heavily in network infrastructure, with capital expenditure reaching
R23.6 billion. Across the group, including Safaricom, Vodacom rolled out more
than 3,000 new 4G sites and over 6,000 new 5G sites during the year.
Vodacom said it remains
focused on expanding connectivity, advancing digital inclusion and
strengthening AI governance and cybersecurity as digital adoption accelerates
across Africa.
