Vodacom Posts R81.6bn Revenue as Customer Base Hits 223m

Vodacom Group reported a 10.9% increase in revenue for the first half of its financial year, with total earnings reaching $4.7 billion. The South African telecom giant added that its customer base grew to 223.2 million users across its markets, while service revenue increased from R58.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in 2024 to R65.8 billion ($3.8 billion) in 2025.

The chief executive officer of Vodacom Group, Shameel Joosub, said the firm’s strong performance reflected its ability to adapt amid market challenges. “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,” Joosub said.

South Africa Leads Revenue Growth

At home, Vodacom’s service revenue increased sharply to R31.7 billion ($1.83 billion) on the back of strong contract customer growth and significant expansion beyond traditional mobile services. Contract-mobile revenue grew by 3.7% to R12.5 billion ($722 million) after a price adjustment in March 2025.

However, prepaid mobile revenue fell by 1.6% to R13.2 billion ($763 million) due to persistent, intense competition as well as inflation that continued to put more pressure on consumer spending. Still, data consumption surged with the number of smart devices reaching 34.3 million and monthly data usage per device increasing to 5.9GB, underlining Africa’s deepening digital adoption.

Expanding Footprint in Egypt and Beyond

Egypt emerged as one of Vodacom’s fastest-growing markets, generating R17.6 billion ($1.02 billion) in service revenue — about 27% of the group’s total. The country’s customer base grew to 53.1 million, while average revenue per user (ARPU) soared by 36.2%.

Elsewhere, it reported steady gains in Tanzania and the DRC. Vodacom said service revenue for Tanzania rose to R6.1 billion ($353 million), and in the DRC, operations were up at close to R7 billion ($405 million). Vodacom further announced plans to invest $100 million in Tanzania to expand its infrastructure and network capacity.

Beyond its revenue growth, Vodacom achieved two major milestones this quarter: It finally settled the 17-year-long legal battle over the Please Call Me matter and received the final regulatory approval to acquire Maziv, a move considered to strengthen its infrastructure and broadband reach across South Africa.