Vodacom will spend R1.1bn in the current financial year to expand and firm up its network in KwaZulu-Natal as part of a strategy to win customers.
South Africa’s largest mobile operator said its R1.14bn investment demonstrated its “commitment to ubiquitous connectivity across the province”.
The spend includes R796m for radio projects, R289m for transmission, R36m towards energy and R20m for core data networks.
The company invests billions of rand locally each year, usually to build, update and maintain its network infrastructure across South Africa. For the year ended March 2025, the group spent R11.6bn on its network in South Africa and expects to reach R12bn in the 12 months to March 2026. Rival MTN expects to spend up to R6.8bn in South Africa for its financial year to end-December.
Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal’s network coverage currently has 99.91% 2G population coverage, 99.9% 3G coverage, 99.12% 4G coverage and 39.54% 5G population coverage.
The company is also looking to beef up its connectivity for secondary cities and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, with R100m specifically dedicated to extending connectivity to previously underserved communities in deep rural areas.
“The ongoing rollout of advanced 4G and 5G technologies continues to enhance connectivity for both urban centres like Durban and underserved rural communities across the province,” said Vodacom.
It said the initiative has brought “reliable mobile coverage” to villages including KwaMaphumulo, Nongoma, Vryheid, Empangeni, Nottingham and the Kamberg valley region in South County, as well as communities across uMkhanyakude, “which is primed for agro-processing, eco-tourism, and renewable energy development”.
In terms of secondary cities, the company noted that Newcastle was “emerging as a centre of manufacturing excellence”, while Richards Bay “continues its role as a logistics powerhouse and industrial gateway”, and the South Coast and Midlands “champion tourism and agriculture”.
Imran Khan, managing executive for Vodacom’s KwaZulu-Natal region, said: “Our investment in KwaZulu-Natal reflects our commitment to building a digitally inclusive province where everyone can access the opportunities of the digital economy.”
“We recognise that network investment alone is not enough. Our focus on deep rural connectivity, business solutions, affordability, device access, and community partnerships ensures that the benefits of our infrastructure reach every resident and business in KwaZulu-Natal.”
Last month, Vodacom announced it would be spending R660m on its southern Gauteng network, and in September the group said it had set aside more than R435m for investment in the northern Gauteng area.
In addition, the group previously announced it had earmarked more than R400m to build and maintain its network in its central region, which includes the Free State and Northern Cape, during this financial year.
It has also announced a R500m network investment earmarked for the Eastern Cape.
Vodacom is also investing R620m to improve connectivity in deep rural areas and townships in Mpumalanga. In 2024/25, the company invested more than R400m in the region.
Vodacom is positioning itself as a key enterprise telecommunications provider in the region, with services such as cloud, cybersecurity, internet of things (IoT) and mobile.
“Businesses today face emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, and quantum computing, alongside competition from hyperscalers and digital natives. Our role is to help enterprises adapt to the pace of digitalisation through systems of advantage via our digital core and customer-360 approach,” Khan said.
