Vodacom Group is deepening its investment in artificial intelligence through a new multi year collaboration with Google Cloud aimed at accelerating digital transformation and expanding access to advanced AI capabilities across Africa. The partnership marks a major milestone for the continent’s telecom and technology landscape, positioning Vodacom to deliver next generation services powered by scalable data infrastructure and cutting edge generative AI models.
As a leading pan African telecommunications company, Vodacom manages vast data assets across multiple markets. Under this agreement, the company will use Google Cloud’s secure cloud environment to unify its data platforms and apply Google’s most advanced AI models, including Gemini, Veo, and Imagen. The goal is to drive operational efficiency while introducing new AI powered experiences for consumers and businesses. For a region undergoing rapid digital growth, the collaboration reflects a commitment to unlocking AI’s potential on a broad, meaningful scale.
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“This collaboration is more than a technology upgrade; it is a deep commitment to Africa’s digital revolution,” said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom. “Integrating Google Cloud’s data and AI solutions into our business will modernise our infrastructure and fundamentally shift our operational paradigm. This collaboration is essential for us to build and deploy solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities of the continent, ensuring the transformative power of AI is accessible to millions of customers and businesses across Africa.” His remarks underline the strategic importance of AI as both an enabler of innovation and a force for economic inclusion.
Google Cloud echoed the significance of building AI capabilities tailored to the needs of African markets. Maureen Costello, Vice President for UKI and SSA at Google Cloud, said the company is proud to support Vodacom in scaling AI across the continent. She noted that providing access to Google’s most advanced generative AI models and its enterprise grade data cloud will help Vodacom accelerate development of technology solutions with real local impact.
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The collaboration is built around three core priorities. Vodacom will migrate and unify critical data infrastructure onto Google Cloud’s data cloud, including BigQuery, to create a real time, secure single source of truth. This foundation enables responsible AI deployment at scale and strengthens analytics across all markets. The companies will also work together to advance AI adoption, using Vertex AI and Gemini to enhance network optimization, improve customer service with personalised automation, and strengthen fraud detection with advanced machine learning. Finally, Vodacom intends to leverage these capabilities to develop new products for African consumers, including fintech services to expand financial inclusion, enterprise tools, and AI driven learning and content experiences.
The initiative builds on the long standing strategic collaboration between Vodacom’s parent company, Vodafone, and Google Cloud. As AI becomes a cornerstone of modern communications, Vodacom’s investment aims to bring its benefits to millions across the continent.
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