Africa-Press – Tanzania. Vodacom Tanzania has reported a significant surge in data traffic across its network in the financial year ending March 31, 2025, a trend that is not only driving business performance but also propelling the country’s broader digital transformation agenda.
According to Vodacom’s 2025 Annual Integrated Report, mobile data revenue rose by 21.6 percent to 422.2bn/- while the number of data users increased by 19 percent. Notably, smartphone users grew by 33.4 percent, with more than 70 percent of data users now accessing the internet via smartphones.
“This growth in data usage is a direct reflection of our sustained investment in expanding and modernizing our network,” said Managing Director Philip Besiimire. “With 471 new 4G sites rolled out and over 80% of our data traffic now carried on 4G, we are enabling faster, more reliable access to the digital economy for millions of Tanzanians.”
The increase in data traffic, with nearly a 50 percent growth in 4G usage, has supported the company’s strong financial performance. Service revenue increased by 20.5%, while profit after tax rose by 69.4 percent to 90.5bn/- Vodacom attributes much of this growth to its successful smartphone acceleration initiatives, targeted device financing schemes, and investments in rural connectivity.
Vodacom’s infrastructure expansion is also closely aligned with the Tanzanian government’s Digital Economy Strategic Framework 2023–2033, which seeks to improve digital access, promote inclusion, and stimulate innovation. The company’s rollout of 4G sites in underserved areas, including 126 in partnership with the Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF) is helping to close the digital divide.
Moreover, the surge in data traffic and smartphone adoption directly supports the national aspirations outlined in the Tanzania Development Vision 2050, which prioritizes a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. By expanding 4G infrastructure, especially in underserved rural areas, and enabling affordable smartphone access through device financing, Vodacom is accelerating digital inclusion and bridging the connectivity gap.
These efforts align with the government’s goal to harness ICT for inclusive socio-economic transformation, fostering innovation, e-governance, and digital entrepreneurship. As more Tanzanians come online, Vodacom’s leadership in connectivity is not only driving business growth but also laying the foundation for a smarter, more connected nation.
“Data is the new electricity. It powers learning, commerce, healthcare, governance, and financial inclusion,” said Besiimire. “By increasing smartphone penetration and extending fast internet access to rural areas, we are not only growing our business, but we are also creating a platform for national development.”
Vodacom’s digitization push is also helping businesses become more agile and competitive. Through its enterprise arm, the company is offering cloud services, fixed connectivity, IoT solutions, and business data packages that allow SMEs and large corporates alike to thrive in a connected environment.
“Our enterprise business grew strongly this past year, supported by high demand for fixed wireless solutions and tailored digital products,” added Besiimire. “We are seeing tremendous interest from education, health, trade, and agriculture sectors in particular.”
The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority’s June report indicated that Vodacom has the second largest share of fixed wireless connections with over 67,000 subscribers.
As data consumption becomes increasingly central to Tanzanian life, from mobile streaming and e-learning to e-commerce and digital banking, Vodacom’s leadership in connectivity is proving to be both a commercial success and a national asset.
With Vision 2030 in sight, Vodacom Tanzania is poised to play an even bigger role in shaping a smarter, more connected nation.
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