Vodacom Group has reported a robust financial performance for the first half of its 2025 financial year, with group revenue rising nearly 11% year-on-year. The company’s service revenue increased from R58.6 billion (≈ $3.4 billion) in the same period of 2024 to R65.8 billion (≈ $3.8 billion) in 2025, driven by growth across key markets and segments. The total customer base surged to 223.2 million, reflecting Vodacom’s expanding footprint across Africa.
Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO, attributed the strong results to the company’s operational resilience and strategic agility:
The encouraging revenue trend highlighted in the Vodacom Group’s performance in the first three months of the financial year continued into the second quarter. This has contributed to a strong set of interim results while at the same time underscoring the resilience and agility of our business.
In its home market of South Africa, Vodacom recorded R31.7 billion (≈ $1.83 billion) in service revenue, supported by growth in the contract-mobile segment and diversification beyond traditional mobile services. Revenue from contract customers rose 3.7% to R12.5 billion (≈ $722 million), largely due to a price adjustment implemented in March 2025.
However, prepaid mobile revenue declined by 1.6% to R13.2 billion (≈ $763 million), as consumers faced economic pressure and increased competition in the market. Despite this, data usage continued to climb, with the number of smart devices reaching 34.3 million and average monthly data usage per device growing to 5.9 GB.
Vodacom’s operations in Egypt delivered standout performance, contributing R17.6 billion (≈ $1.02 billion) in service revenue—26.8% of the group’s total. The customer base in Egypt expanded to 53.1 million, and average revenue per user (ARPU) surged by 36.2%, reflecting strong demand and improved monetization.
Other African markets also showed positive momentum. In Tanzania, service revenue rose to R6.1 billion (≈ $353 million), while in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), revenue reached nearly R7 billion (≈ $405 million). Vodacom also announced plans to invest US$100 million in Tanzania, reinforcing its commitment to infrastructure development and market growth.
In addition to its financial achievements, Vodacom marked two major strategic milestones during the quarter:
- It resolved the 17-year legal dispute over the Please Call Me service, bringing closure to a long-standing issue.
- It received regulatory approval to acquire Maziv, a move that will significantly enhance its infrastructure investment in South Africa after a three-year regulatory battle.
These developments position Vodacom to further strengthen its market leadership and expand its digital infrastructure across the continent.
