One year since its creation, the Vodacom Mozambique Foundation has been contributing to an inclusive and sustainable digital society in which more and more Mozambicans can have access to connectivity and information, inclusion and digital and financial literacy.
With a focus on Education, Health, Environmental Sustainability, Economic Empowerment and Humanitarian Assistance, the Vodacom Foundation is the result of years of social investment and philanthropic work, which has always been a priority for Vodacom Mozambique, and which, in the last five years alone, has managed to reach more than five million people. From free connectivity in schools across the country, to technological training programmes and support for young entrepreneurs, these are just some of the various initiatives implemented by an institution with objectives tailored to national challenges and aligned with the company’s social investment focus. ‘The figures achieved over the last five years are encouraging. But more than that, we’ve endeavoured to have a positive impact on the lives of these people.’ In an interview with E&M, the Foundation’s director, Cristina Azevedo, details the strategy, lists the challenges faced and discusses the outlook for the coming years.
As the Foundation completes its first year of existence, what assessment can you make?
The Foundation is one of the central pillars of our sustainability strategy, framing all of the company’s social investment and our approach is holistic and goes beyond environmental sustainability, integrating the social and corporate governance component, in other words, we follow the best ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices. The Foundation was formally registered a year ago, but our work in corporate social responsibility has been underway for much longer. Over the last five years, we have built up a solid track record in the area of social investment, and the creation of the Foundation has reinforced this trajectory, giving our work greater independence and bringing it into line with the best global practices.
Cristina Azevedo is director of the Foundation and head of Sustainable Business at Vodacom Mozambique, where she has been for six years.
What is the big gain of the transition from the conventional social investment actions that existed to the Foundation’s current strategy?
The decision to move forward with the Foundation was taken to ensure that Vodacom’s social work is always completely transparent, independent and impactful. As a Foundation, we can operate more flexibly, establish strategic partnerships and ensure that resources are used in the most effective way for the benefit of communities. The Foundation allows us to act in a more aggregated and strategic way, and with greater independence from the company’s commercial decisions. In addition, as a civil society entity, we have been able to establish partnerships that were not previously accessible to the private sector, including access to international funds and cooperation programmes.
How does the Foundation fit into Vodacom’s global strategy?
Our purpose is to connect people for a better future. This global mission of Vodacom is reflected in our work through three major strategic principles of the company that the Foundation materialises, promoting digital inclusion, education and access to connectivity for all, especially for vulnerable communities.
‘The Foundation materialises the commitment to connect people for a better future, promoting digital inclusion, education and access to connectivity for all’
And what are the main areas of action?
Our work is organised around five strategic pillars: education, health, economic empowerment, protection of the planet and social and humanitarian assistance. Education, because of its importance, is the main priority, receiving more than 50 per cent of our budget, but the five pillars are interconnected and fundamental to guaranteeing a comprehensive and sustainable impact, and I can guarantee that we will continue to focus more and more on broadening their spectrum. Our action in education is based on digital and technological inclusion. At the moment (March 2025), we already offer free connectivity to 218 secondary schools, 100 of which also have an IT lab provided by us. In 102 of them we also have digital plazas and the rest have dedicated internet for the Instant Network Schools centres (a programme in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation and the UNHCR). We are also developing initiatives to promote empowerment, such as ‘Code Like a Girl’, an initiative implemented in collaboration with Vodacom’s Human Resources team, through which we have already trained more than 3,700 girls.
How is the Foundation funded?
The Foundation receives 1% of Vodacom’s service revenue each year, between funding the implementation of programmes and providing the equipment, products and services that the Foundation needs to implement its projects, such as offering free Internet to schools and communities, among others.
Is social and humanitarian assistance gaining weight in the strategy?
Yes, especially given the country’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events. Our commitment includes rapid response to emergencies such as cyclones and humanitarian crises. Just recently, during the last cyclone that hit Mozambique, we managed to mobilise 35 tonnes of food in just one week, collaborating with the government and international organisations.
How are the initiatives selected?
We work in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other organisations to ensure that our projects reach the communities that need them. The selection of schools and initiatives takes into account Vodacom’s coverage and power supply, location, accessibility and the presence of other partners who can contribute to the success of the programmes.
The Vodacom Mozambique Foundation was officially launched in May 2023
What challenges and prospects for the coming years?
We need to reflect on the current context in Mozambique. We will never stop prioritising digital and financial inclusion and literacy. But we feel that job creation and the development of strategies to deal with the cost of living crisis are becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, we feel that we have to reach out to communities beyond the school environment. It is this reflection that we have to make when designing the new strategy.
‘Technology is a powerful tool for transforming lives, and we want to ensure that more and more young Mozambicans can enjoy these benefits’
What impact has the Foundation achieved in its first year?
We are currently consolidating our annual results, but I can safely say that, through the programmes we have implemented and the partnerships we have, more than 1.5 million people have been reached, of which around 500,000 are new beneficiaries. For example, with connectivity in schools alone, we’ve managed to reach around 860,000 people, including pupils and teachers. If we think about the multiplier effect that access to a computer, a tablet, free internet and opportunities to develop digital skills can have on users’ families and communities, we can easily see how impactful we are being.
What message would you leave young Mozambicans?
Believe in their potential and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital age. Technology is a powerful tool for transforming lives, and we want to ensure that we are preparing young people to enjoy its benefits and opportunities, but also to protect themselves from its negative effects. The future is in your hands and we’re here to support you on that journey.
Text: Florença Nhabinde – Photo: Mariano Silva
