Vodacom appoints Mohamed Abdallah as head of 5 African markets

Vodacom Group has appointed Mohamed Abdallah, CEO of Vodafone Egypt, to a regional executive position where he will also oversee operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania markets.  

According to the telecom company, Abdallah’s appointment is a significant step in its strategic efforts to simplify its operating model, drive strategic growth, and enhance customer experiences. His new role comes with an increased regional executive leadership status aimed at driving growth and operational excellence across Vodacom’s international markets.

Together with the new international role, Abdallah will continue in his position as the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Egypt.

“Under this expanded structure, he will oversee operations in Egypt as well as additional African markets, including operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania, unifying these markets under a single leadership framework to deliver on Vodacom Group’s strategic priorities,” the statement reads.

Abdallah, who joined Vodafone Egypt 27 years ago, has held several senior leadership positions in that time, including as enterprise business director and consumer business director. Under his leadership, Vodafone Egypt achieved significant growth across Consumer, Business, and Financial Services, solidifying its position as a market leader.

He succeeds Diego Gutierrez who stepped down in April after seven years as Chief Officer of International Business. Gutierrez played a crucial role in steering Vodacom’s International Markets through key transitions and delivering strong performance since 2017.

Under the new structure, the CEOs of Vodacom DRC, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania will report to Abdallah, who will then report directly to Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.

While describing the appointment, Joosub said Abdallah’s new role will advance the company’s international market operations and contribute to future success.

“Mohamed is a seasoned executive with a proven ability to deliver strong commercial results. His leadership will be vital as we scale our international operations and advance our purpose-led strategy across Africa. We thank Diego for his immense contributions and wish him success in his future endeavours,” he noted.

Also Read: Vodacom South Africa announces revenue growth despite losing over 5.7 million customers in FY 2025.

Abdallah’s success in Vodacom and Vodafone Egypt

In what was a move to support Vodafone Egypt’s roll-out of the 5G market, Abdallah led the company in November to sign a $600 million long-term infrastructure agreement with Telecom Egypt, the leading telecom provider in the North African country. Also, the deal tread on the heels of a recent 5G licence procurement by Vodafone Egypt from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

The agreement enabled Vodafone Egypt to leverage Telecom Egypt’s integrated infrastructure and fibre optic network to deliver services to its customers through various stages until 2034. Telecom Egypt explained that it aligns with plans to monetise its network, which serves as the foundation for delivering 5G services.

The deal also follows Vodafone Egypt’s acquisition of the 5G services license with an investment exceeding $150 million.

Vodafone Egypt also recorded $1.6 bn in revenues during its 2024-25 fiscal year, marking a near 50 per cent YoY increase. This was attributed to a strong demand across its services portfolio and continued expansion in digital services. The company also saw its subscriber base increase to 51 million, including 24 million Vodafone Cash wallet users. The firm also said it now sources 100 per cent of its electricity needs from renewable energy.

Vodacom’s subsidiary also doubled down on making social impact, having digitised 626 healthcare facilities, a 103 per cent YoY surge, reaching 12.5 million citizens. It aims to reach 26 million citizens by 2026 through its digital health programs.

“Our success this year means that Vodafone Egypt customers today receive faster and more advanced digital services, and smoother connectivity experiences wherever they are in Egypt,” Abdallah said in the financial statement.