Matimba Mbungela, chief human resources Officer, Vodacom Group.

The Top Employers Institute has named Vodacom Group Africa's top employer for the second year in a row. 

Vodacom Group, Vodacom South Africa, Vodacom Mozambique, Vodacom Tanzania, and Safaricom Kenya also received this certification and first-place ranking from the Top Employers Institute.

The Top Employers Institute awards this recognition to companies based on their performance in key human resource areas such as people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, and well-being.

The telco announced the award today, saying that last year, Vodacom strengthened its Employee Value Proposition with employee benefits that demonstrate its commitment to establishing an inclusive and supportive work environment.

It went on to elaborate: " With an emphasis on Compassion, Acceptance, Respect and Empathy, the company's enhanced wellness initiatives include support for all stages of life, such as menopause, and a more encompassing family responsibility leave policy.”

Matimba Mbungela, chief human resources Officer, Vodacom Group, comments: “Maintaining our position as Africa’s Top Employer once again demonstrates our dedication to enabling our employees to thrive.

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. 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 Vodacom Digital Skills Hub, developed in collaboration with other tech organisations such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, aims to boost digital literacy across Africa by bridging the digital skills gap in eight African countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.

“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,” says Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO.

He adds: “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.”