Vodacom Group, a South Africa-based pan-African telecommunications company, has announced its purchase of a significant number of Kenya's Safaricom PLC shares, giving it a 55 controlling stake in Kenyas biggest telecom. The share agreement was announced in Nairobi on December 4, 2025.
Under the terms of this transaction, Vodacom will purchase 15 of Safaricom PLC from the Government of Kenya's share in the telecom, and an additional 5 from its local subsidiary Vodafone at USD 0.26 per share, valuing the total deal at USD 1.95 billion SAR36 billion. Should the transaction receive the requisite approvals from regulatory and governmental authorities in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, this will see Vodacom's stake in Safaricom - which will remain listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange - increase from 35 to 55. Kenya's government will continue to hold 20 of the company while public shareholders will take the rest.
The move is a key milestone in Vodacom's Vision 2030 strategy, which includes deepening its leadership in Africa's high-growth markets, and scaling its diversified portfolio to include financial inclusion for underserved markets. This will include M-Pesa Global, which both Vodafone and Safaricom have been expanding over the years to allow East Africans to send merchant and personal payments around the world at minimum cost and inconvenience. Should this work as envisioned, M-Pesa Global will become the jewel in the crown of Safaricom's operations.
