Vodacom Group, the leading pan African connectivity, digital and financial services company serving more than 243 million customers, with mobile networks covering a total population of over 596 million people, has established a Foundation to consolidate and strengthen its impact on the continent.
The Vodacom Foundation, which brings together the eight Foundations across its footprint under one umbrella, has appointed a seven-member Board chaired by renowned economist Dr Vera Songwe as it accelerates its pan-African strategy aimed at positively impacting 50 million lives by 2030.
Bringing together expertise spanning economic development, public policy, technology, sustainability, governance and social impact, the new Board will help guide the Foundation’s shift towards scalable, digitally enabled programmes across connected health, connected education and digital skilling.
The strong leadership and consolidated structure will harness Vodacom’s technology, connectivity and strategic partnerships to address some of Africa’s most persistent developmental and societal challenges.
Chairperson of the Vodacom Foundation Board, Dr Vera Songwe, said “Africa has a unique opportunity to harness technology and connectivity to address pressing developmental challenges. Our ambition to positively impact 50 million lives by 2030 is bold, and we are committed to helping turn that ambition into scalable, sustainable impact across the continent.”
Meet the Board of the Vodacom Foundation
Dr Vera Songwe – Chairperson
- Dr Vera Songwe is a renowned economist and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General. She has served as Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and brings extensive global expertise across economic development, sustainable finance, technology, governance and public policy.
Shameel Joosub – Trustee
- Shameel Joosub is the CEO of Vodacom Group and founder of the Vodacom Foundation. He brings extensive experience in telecommunications, digital and financial inclusion, sustainability and purpose-led business.
Graça Machel – Trustee
- Graça Machel, founder of the Graça Machel Trust, brings decades of leadership in women’s and children’s rights, education and economic empowerment. Her extensive experience across development and civil society strengthens the Foundation’s focus on inclusive social impact.
Ayman Essam – Trustee
- Ayman Essam is Vodacom Group’s Chief Officer for External Affairs. Ayman brings more than 20 years’ experience in telecommunications, public policy, legal affairs, ESG and digital inclusion across Africa.
Anna Isaac – Trustee
- Anna Isaac is the Vodacom Group Chief Officer for Legal, Risk and Compliance. Anna brings more than 30 years’ experience across legal, compliance, governance and risk, spanning African and international markets.
Gerhard van Niekerk – Trustee
- Gerhard van Niekerk, a Vodacom Mauritius executive, brings regional experience in operations, governance and strategic oversight across African markets.
Mashudu Ndou – Executive Head of the Foundation
- Mashudu Ndou, a multi-award-winning sustainability and social-impact executive, brings more than 16 years’ experience across Africa and oversees the Vodacom Foundation activities across the continent.
The Foundation’s Strategic Direction
The Foundation’s regional strategy is centred on scalable, sustainable and digitally enabled initiatives across three key areas: connected health, connected education and digital skilling.
The Foundation’s Connected Health activities focus on developing digitally enabled approaches to improve health outcomes. These include integrated digital maternal-care networks that link community screening, pregnancy tracking, frontline healthcare support and emergency referral pathways.
Through Connected Education, the Foundation will work to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes in remote and understaffed classrooms by using digital tools, coaching and data-led support.
A flagship initiative within the education pillar is Classroom Compass, a digital platform that supports teachers and students through classroom tools, teacher coaching, AI-enabled planning and real-time data to identify where additional educational support is needed.
The Digital Skilling pillar will focus on expanding youth employment and economic opportunity. Key activities will include market-aligned digital skills, internships and placement pathways, entrepreneurship support, and career acceleration.
Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group, said “Our strengthened leadership and regional approach will help us scale what works, deepen partnerships and use technology to create measurable, lasting impact for millions of people across Africa.”
The Foundation will also strengthen strategic partnerships with governments, co-funders, technical partners and implementation organisations to expand the reach and sustainability of its programmes.
The strengthened leadership structure reflects the Foundation’s evolution from country-level initiatives towards a more coordinated regional approach, leveraging Vodacom Group’s assets, relationships and expertise to connect people and deliver measurable, scalable social impact across the continent.