{"id":845462,"date":"2025-12-04T07:58:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T05:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=845462"},"modified":"2026-02-05T11:35:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:35:59","slug":"south-african-giant-takes-control-of-international-company-for-r36-billion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/telecommunications\/845462\/south-african-giant-takes-control-of-international-company-for-r36-billion\/","title":{"rendered":"South African giant takes control of international company\u00a0for R36 billion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

South Africa’s Vodacom Group has acquired a majority stake in Kenya’s Safaricom in a deal worth R36 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vodacom said that the deal reinforces the group\u2019s commitment to the East African markets of Kenya and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As per the deal, Vodacom agreed to acquire 15% from the government of Kenya and 5% from Vodafone at KES 34 per share. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This valued the deal at $2.1 billion (R36 billion). If it receives regulatory approval in South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia, Vodacom\u2019s stake will increase from 35% to 55%, giving it majority control.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safaricom will stay listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange as part of the deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vodacom stated that the deal forms a key part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which includes deepening its leadership in Africa\u2019s high-growth markets and scaling its diversified portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Safaricom\u2019s financial results will transition from being accounted for on an associate basis to being fully consolidated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will increase Vodacom Group\u2019s revenue towards R220 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis landmark transaction will mark a pivotal step in Vodacom\u2019s journey to accelerate growth and deepen our impact across Africa,\u201d said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAcquiring a controlling stake in Safaricom strengthens our position as a market leader, while at the same time unlocking new opportunities to drive digital and financial inclusion at scale in Kenya and Ethiopia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joosub added that Safaricom\u2019s outstanding track record and differentiated growth outlook perfectly complement its Vision 2030 ambitions, allowing for sustainable value generation for stakeholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVodacom has been a trusted partner in Safaricom\u2019s journey from the very beginning, and we welcome their continued commitment and long-term investment in our business,\u201d said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe look forward to deepening our collaboration as we continue to scale innovation, expand regionally, and deliver transformative digital and financial services to our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A prized asset<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Vodacom said that Safaricom is widely regarded as one of the most attractive assets, as it combines telecommunications, fintech and technology services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It noted that Safaricom has consistently delivered strong financial results, with industry-leading margins and resilient cash generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Via its flagship platform M-Pesa in Kenya, the company drives high-growth fintech revenue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vodacom said that Safaricom\u2019s expansion opportunities in Ethiopia, along with a growing suite of cloud, IoT, and enterprise services, position it for continued growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Mbadi, Kenya\u2019s Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, stated that the transaction enables Kenya to unlock capital without increasing the nation\u2019s debt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government of Kenya will continue to hold a 20% stake in Safaricom, and it will remain a strategic investment for the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vodacom has acquired a majority stake in Kenya’s Safaricom as per its aim to accelerate growth and increase value generation for stakeholders. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vodacom has acquired a majority stake in Kenya’s Safaricom as per its aim to accelerate growth and increase value generation for stakeholders.\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":793388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,21],"tags":[5246,27],"class_list":["post-845462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cloud-hosting","category-telecommunications","tag-safaricom","tag-vodacom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=845462"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":845468,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/845462\/revisions\/845468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/793388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=845462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=845462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}