Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal has unveiled a major network investment plan worth more than R1.1 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year, strengthening its push toward a digitally inclusive province while expanding coverage in both urban and deep rural areas.
According to Imran Khan, Managing Executive for Vodacom KZN, the investment is designed to ensure that every resident — from Durban’s urban core to remote rural villages — has access to the opportunities of the digital economy.
The R1.142 billion allocation is spread across several key areas: R796 million for radio projects, R289 million for transmission upgrades, R36 million for energy systems, and R20 million for core data networks.
This builds on Vodacom’s strong provincial coverage footprint, which includes 99.91% population coverage on 2G, 99.9% on 3G, 99.12% on 4G and 39.54% on 5G.
A major focus of the investment is extending connectivity to remote communities. Over R100 million has been dedicated to “deep rural” network expansion, improving mobile access in areas such as KwaMaphumulo, Nongoma, Vryheid, Empangeni, Nottingham, the Kamberg valley, and multiple communities in uMkhanyakude. These regions are increasingly important to provincial economic drivers like agro-processing, eco-tourism, manufacturing, and renewable energy.
Khan says rural expansion is not just a network project, but a development priority: “Expanding connectivity to deep rural areas is about creating economic opportunities and ensuring that rural communities can participate fully in the digital economy.”
Vodacom Business KZN is also scaling up its enterprise offerings, positioning itself as a “TechCo” — a technology-driven company that provides cloud services, cybersecurity, IoT solutions, mobile and unified communications, hosting, managed services, and digital platforms. The division supports SMEs, large corporations, and government with tools that drive operational efficiency and competitiveness.
Affordability remains another strategic pillar. Vodacom’s personalised platforms — Just4You and Just4YourTown — have seen strong uptake, providing users with discounted, behaviour-based voice and data packages. The Easy2Own device-financing programme is also helping more residents upgrade to 4G and 5G devices, improving smartphone access across the province.
To combat the increasing threat of tower vandalism and battery theft, Vodacom has partnered with communities in Nottingham and the Kamberg valley to install electric fencing around key sites — a move that has significantly reduced outages and enhanced network reliability.
Khan says the goal is inclusivity: “With over R1.1 billion in network investment, including R100 million dedicated to deep rural areas, we are building a connected province where no one is left behind.”
