Vodacom Retains Africa’s Top Employer Title for Third Consecutive Year

By Linet Amuli - Reporter

Kenya, 15 January 2026 - Vodacom Group has reaffirmed its position as a leading employer in Africa after being named the continent’s top employer by the Top Employers Institute for the third year in a row.

The recognition highlights the company’s continued focus on creating a high-quality employee experience, strengthening talent development, and embedding ethical practices across its operations.

In addition to the Group-wide recognition, individual certifications were awarded to Vodacom’s operations in South Africa, Mozambique, and Tanzania, as well as to Safaricom in Kenya and Ethiopia. This widespread recognition reflects a consistent people-focused approach across the organisation’s African footprint.

Speaking on the achievement, Vodacom Group Chief Executive Shameel Joosub described the milestone as a key indicator of progress toward the company’s Vision 2030 goals.

He noted that the recognition demonstrates the impact of Vodacom’s purpose-driven leadership, strong workplace culture, and long-term investment in its people.

The Top Employer certification evaluates organisations against global best practices in human resources.

This year’s assessment covered 20 HR areas, including people strategy, recruitment, learning and development, leadership capability, performance management, employee wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion.

Vodacom Group achieved an overall score of 99.56%, placing it among the highest-rated employers globally. Vodacom Mozambique recorded the Group’s strongest performance with a score of 99.96%, followed closely by Vodacom South Africa at 99.88% and Vodacom Tanzania at 99.76%. Safaricom Kenya and Safaricom Ethiopia both ranked first in their respective countries.

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According to Vodacom Group Chief Human Resources Officer Matimba Mbungela, maintaining the top ranking for a third consecutive year reflects a sustained commitment to employee wellbeing and empowerment. He emphasised that investing in people enables the organisation to better fulfil its purpose of connecting individuals and communities for a better future.

This year, the Top Employers Institute introduced expanded evaluation criteria to reflect emerging global priorities, including workforce innovation, ethical leadership, and the human impact of artificial intelligence. Vodacom stood out in these areas, with two best practices from Vodacom South Africa recognised for global benchmarking.

These included Vodacom’s approach to assessing the impact of human-AI collaboration to ensure technology adoption supports employees, as well as initiatives that encourage creativity and innovation through programmes such as hackathons, where employees are encouraged to experiment and share ideas in a safe environment.

Vodacom’s performance is supported by ongoing investment in digital HR systems, future-ready skills, leadership development, and comprehensive wellbeing programs. Its Employee Value Proposition, guided by the principles of Compassion, Acceptance, Respect, and Empathy (C.A.R.E.), includes enhanced wellness support and inclusive family responsibility leave policies.

Beyond its own workforce, Vodacom continues to contribute to Africa’s digital future through initiatives such as the Vodacom Digital Skills Hub, CodeLikeAGirl, Discover Graduate, and Spirit of Vodacom. These programs aim to equip young people with skills for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Looking ahead, Vodacom Group says it remains committed to building a workplace that nurtures growth, innovation, and ethical technology use, ensuring employees remain at the heart of the organisation’s success.