Strong demand for mobile data, digital services and financial products has driven up revenues for telecommunications giant Vodacom in the third quarter ended last December.
Vodacom Group service revenue increased by 11.7% to R43.9-billion, increasing revenue to R34.6-billion, up by 12.7% compared with the same period in the previous year. Services revenue reflects income earned from Vodacom’s core telecommunications and digital services. These include mobile voice, data, messaging and fibre among other things.
In South Africa, services revenue grew by 1.4% to R16.4-billion. Consumer spending remained under pressure. But growth was supported by financial services and fixed connectivity. And data traffic increased by 32% during the quarter. International service revenue increased by 12.6% to R8.8-billion. Egypt grew by 39% to R9.5-billion.
Group revenue, group service revenue growths
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said the group has shown great results across their portfolios and beyond mobile services. He noted both the group revenue and group service revenue growths.
Joosub said the financial services remained important to the company’s growth with the R4.5-billion increase. This is up by 24.7%, while mobile money platforms have processed at least $500.7-billion (approximately R8-trillion in current USD/ZAR exchange rate) in transaction value over 12 months.
“Vodacom Group made significant strategic progress. This was marked by two milestones that strengthen our long-term growth profile and accelerates inclusive connectivity across our footprint. In December, we announced an agreement to acquire an additional 20% stake in Safaricom, reinforcing our commitment to the high growth East African markets of Kenya and Ethiopia.
“In November, our acquisition of a strategic stake in South African fibre business Maziv received [Independent Communications Authority of SA] ICASA’s final approval, unlocking the opportunity to accelerate fibre deployment and expand access to high-quality connectivity, particularly in historically underserved communities,” said Joosub.
He said the Maziv deal in South Africa started on December 1 2025 and included a large cash injection. This put the open-access fibre network in a stronger position to expand faster and improve customer service. While helping more people get connected.
Stake in Safaricom deal
On December 4 2025 the company announced a deal to raise Vodacom’s effective stake in Safaricom to 55%. The company will buy shares from the Government of Kenya and Vodafone Group for a total of US$2.1-billion.
He said the deal, once approved by regulators, resulted in Safaricom being brought fully into Vodacom.
According to Joosub, this move supported Vision 2030. It also strengthened Vodacom’s African leadership in fintech and connectivity. And it allowed the group to share skills and experience across Kenya, Ethiopia and other markets to create long-term value for customers, communities and shareholders.
“Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering our medium-term targets. Advancing financial inclusion, and executing with discipline across products and geographies. With a strong platform and a clearer line of sight to key strategic milestones, I firmly believe the Group is well positioned to capture structural growth. All … while staying true to our purpose of connecting people to a better future.
“Continued execution of our strategy has the potential to create immense economic value in the markets where we operate, helping to address inequality,” he said.
