Leading telecoms and digital services provider in Africa, the Vodacom Group has been named Africa’s number one employer for the year 2024. This was disclosed in a statement by the company seen by Technext.
The honour was accorded to the Vodacom Group by the Top Employers Institute. The Institute bestows this accolade to companies based on their performance in key HR domains such as people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, and well-being.
This year’s edition means the Vodacom Group has received the award for the second consecutive year.
Following the feat, the prestigious certification and first place ranking have also been awarded to its subsidiaries like Vodacom South Africa, Vodacom Mozambique, Vodacom Tanzania and Safaricom Kenya.
Speaking about what it means to the organisation, the CEO of Vodacom Group, Shameel Joosub, expressed pride in the award, stating the company’s belief that employees’ well-being ultimately contributes to the overall success of the organisation.
“We are incredibly proud to be certified as the Top Employer in Africa for the second year in a row. We believe that the well-being of our employees contributes directly to our ability to fulfil our purpose of connecting for a better future,” Joosub said.
He also noted that by continually enhancing the company’s Employee Value Proposition through empathetic and inclusive policies and practices, the organisation is cultivating a workplace culture where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to reach their full potential.
Enumerating its human resource successes in 2024, the company said it strengthened its Employee Value Proposition with employee offerings that endorse its commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace.
With an emphasis on Compassion, Acceptance, Respect and Empathy (C.A.R.E.), the company said its enhanced wellness initiatives include support for all stages of life, such as menopause, and a more encompassing family responsibility leave policy.
For the Chief Human Resources Officer at Vodacom Group, Matimba Mbungela, ranking as the top employer in Africa for consecutive years is a testament to the company’s dedication to its workers.
“Maintaining our position as Africa’s Top Employer once again demonstrates our dedication to enabling our employees to thrive,” Mbungela said.
Vodacom Group launches Digital Skills Hub
In its bid to contribute to training the next generation of workforce across Africa, Vodacom Group also announced that it has launched a Digital Skills Hub. The hub is expected to train 1 million Africans between the ages of 18 to 35 by 2027.
Speaking about the hub, the head of HR, Matimba Mbungela, said its focus will be on nurturing talent and career development in the tech industry and extending the privilege to millions of young people across the continent who are the future of work.
“There is an urgent need to prepare the next generation for the rapidly evolving digital economy. To this end, we have launched the Digital Skills Hub, with the goal to equip one million young people in Africa by 2027 by providing access to self-paced, digital skills training for those aged between 18 and 35,” the Chief Human Resources Officer said.
The digital skills hub is launched in collaboration with other tech organisations such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. It is designed to empower the next generation to consider a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Learning in the hub will entail fun and engaging practical digital skills training for young people on the continent.
Amazon’s AWS Educate is one of the first programs to be offered through the Digital Skills Hub and an additional program to Vodacom’s various existing online learning platforms. AWS Educate offers beginners an extensive library of self-paced online training that covers a range of topics from cloud fundamentals to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“As we embark on a new year, we want to encourage young people, whether they’re students, job seekers or aspiring entrepreneurs, to benefit from the Digital Skills Hub. By supporting digital skills training as a Top Employer, we are empowering the next workforce and ensuring that everyone can connect to a better future,” Vodacom Group CEO, Joosub said.
the Vodacom Digital Skills Hub aims to boost digital literacy across Africa, bridging the digital skills gap across eight African countries including South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.
