Vodacom Group Named Africa’s Number One Employer for Third Consecutive Year

January 17, 2026 Majira Media

Vodacom Group has once again been recognised as Africa’s number one employer by the Top Employers Institute, securing the top ranking for the third consecutive year. The achievement underscores the Group’s sustained commitment to delivering an exceptional, people-centric employee experience across its operations.

In addition to the Group-level accolade, Vodacom Mozambique, Vodacom South Africa, Vodacom Tanzania, as well as Safaricom Ethiopia and Safaricom Kenya, were each independently certified as Top Employers, further reinforcing the Group’s leadership in human capital excellence across the continent.

“Being certified as Africa’s Top Employer for the third year in a row is a significant milestone in our Vision 2030 journey,” said Shameel Joosub, Chief Executive Officer of Vodacom Group. “It reflects our consistency in leading with purpose and confirms that our people-centric approach to talent development, workplace culture and inclusion is delivering meaningful impact.”

The Top Employer certification is a globally recognised benchmark that assesses organisational excellence across 20 human resources domains, including People Strategy, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Leadership Development, Performance Management, Employee Wellbeing, and Diversity and Inclusion.

“We are immensely proud to maintain our position as Africa’s Top Employer for the third consecutive year,” said Matimba Mbungela, Chief Human Resources Officer at Vodacom Group. “This recognition demonstrates that creating an exceptional employee experience is not a one-time achievement but a sustained commitment to our people. When our employees thrive, we are better positioned to fulfil our purpose of connecting for a better future.”

Vodacom Group achieved an outstanding overall score of 99.56%, with Vodacom Mozambique recording the highest score in the Group at 99.96%, followed by Vodacom South Africa (99.88%) and Vodacom Tanzania (99.76%), placing them among the highest-rated employers globally. Safaricom Ethiopia and Safaricom Kenya each ranked first in their respective countries, reinforcing the Group’s consistent delivery of world-class HR practices.

Driving Innovation and Ethical AI Integration

This year, the Top Employers Institute expanded its evaluation criteria to address emerging global priorities in people management and organisational ethics. New focus areas included empowering workforce innovation, assessing the human impact of AI, and embedding ethics and integrity across HR and technology integration.

A key highlight of this year’s certification was the recognition of two Vodacom South Africa best practices selected for global benchmarking:

Human–AI Collaboration Impact Evaluation: Vodacom continuously assesses AI deployments to ensure responsible implementation that balances business objectives with employee wellbeing.
Innovation and Creativity Empowerment: The organisation fosters a culture of experimentation and idea-sharing through initiatives such as hackathons, enabling employees to innovate without fear.

“The Institute’s growing focus on innovation, ethical leadership and the human impact of technology reflects the future of work,” added Mbungela. “We are proud that Vodacom Group continues to set the standard in these areas through forward-thinking, employee-centric practices that are recognised globally.”

A Deeply Employee-Centric Culture

Vodacom Group’s success is driven by ongoing investment in digital HR enablement, future-fit skills, leadership development, and holistic employee wellbeing. Its Employee Value Proposition, grounded in Compassion, Acceptance, Respect and Empathy (C.A.R.E.), includes enhanced wellness programmes and a comprehensive family responsibility leave policy supporting employees at every stage of life.

Beyond its own workforce, Vodacom continues to invest in Africa’s broader digital ecosystem through initiatives such as the Vodacom Digital Skills Hub, CodeLikeAGirl, Discover Graduate, and Spirit of Vodacom, empowering communities and preparing the next generation for careers in STEM.

Looking Ahead

“As we move forward, Vodacom Group remains committed to building a workplace that inspires excellence, supports growth and connects every employee to our shared purpose,” Mbungela concluded. “Our third consecutive recognition as Africa’s Top Employer is a testament to our people-first philosophy and our dedication to innovation and ethical technology adoption that puts people at the heart of everything we do.”