Vodacom named top employer in Africa

The Top Employers Institute has named the Vodacom Group the number-one employer in Africa for the second year in a row.

The institute awards the accolade to companies based on their performance in key human resources domains, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, and well-being.

“We are incredibly proud to be certified as the Top Employer in Africa for the second year in a row,” says Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.

“We believe that the well-being of our employees contributes directly to our ability to fulfil our purpose of connecting for a better future.”

“By continually enhancing our Employee Value Proposition through empathetic and inclusive policies and practices, we are cultivating a workplace culture where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to reach their full potential,” he added.

Last year, the Vodacom Group strengthened its Employee Value Proposition through offerings to create an inclusive and supportive workplace, emphasising Compassion, Acceptance, Respect, and Empathy.

The initiatives include support for employees of all ages, including supporting those in menopause and providing a more encompassing family responsibility leave policy.

Chief human resources officer at the Vodacom Group, Matimba Mbungela, says the company securing the award for the second year running demonstrates its dedication to its employees.

“However, our focus on nurturing talent and career development in the tech industry extends to the millions of young people across the continent who are the future of work,” he said.

He noted that there is a critical need to prepare the next generation for the future, and the Vodacom Group has launched the Digital Skills Hub to help achieve this.

Its goal is to equip one million young people in Africa with crucial digital skills by 2027 through a self-paced digital skills training course for people aged between 18 and 35.

The Vodacom Group says the Digital Skills Hub was developed in collaboration with other tech organisations, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

It is available in eight African countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.

“The Vodacom Digital Skills Hub is designed to empower the next generation, to consider a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and entails fun and engaging practical digital skills training for young people on the continent,” says Vodacom.

Amazon Web Service (AWS) Educate is one of the first programmes offered through the Digital Skills Hub and adds to Vodacom’s existing 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,” says Vodacom.