Shameel Joosub is an influential figure in the African telecommunications sector, renowned for his leadership as CEO of Vodacom Group – one of Africa’s leading mobile communications companies – since September 2012.
A seasoned telecoms executive, his career with Vodacom began in 1994, progressing through multiple leadership roles, including Managing Director of Vodacom South Africa and CEO of Vodafone Spain. He was appointed to the Vodafone Group exco in April 2020, and is responsible for all its African operations.
Under his leadership, Vodacom has become a significant force in the African digital economy, contributing immensely to various sectors, including telecommunications, humanitarian relief, societal impact, health, agriculture and education.
Vodacom has achieved remarkable growth under his leadership – more than doubling revenue from R69.9 billion in FY2013 to over R152 billion in FY2025, and increasing net profit from R13.2 billion to R19.9 billion. The Group’s customer base has expanded from 59 million to over 211 million across eight markets on the African continent.
A key driver of innovation, Joosub has ensured that Vodacom has made significant investments in expanding its mobile network coverage across South Africa and other African countries, improving access to voice and internet services in urban and rural areas.
This network expansion has been critical in making mobile telecommunications accessible to millions of people who previously had limited access to these services. The rollout of 4G networks has been a significant achievement during his tenure, with Vodacom leading efforts to prepare for the future by rapidly advancing 5G technologies.
Joosub’s educational background
Joosub holds an Honours degree in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa, an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland, and an Advanced Management Programme certificate from Harvard University. In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Management Sciences by the Central University of Technology in recognition of his impact on business and telecommunications.
In 2023, he was named MyBroadband Telecoms CEO of the Year, recognising his strategic leadership during challenging times – including load shedding and spectrum shortages – and his role in driving Vodacom’s sustained performance and resilience
In addition to his corporate achievements, Joosub is deeply committed to inclusive growth and social development. Under his leadership, Vodacom’s South Africa executive committee reached gender parity, with 50% women representation. He is a vocal advocate for digital inclusion and women’s participation in STEM fields.
Joosub currently serves as co-chair of B20 South Africa’s Digital Transformation Task Force, working alongside chair Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, the CEO of Naspers South Africa. Together, they are advancing a policy agenda focused on digital innovation and equitable growth across Africa and other emerging markets.
What is your role, specifically, as one of the co-chairs of the Digital Transformation Task Force?
As co-chair, my role is to help guide the task force’s agenda in a way that reflects both the urgency and opportunity of digital transformation, especially from an emerging market perspective. I ensure that the voices of the Global South are represented, and that our policy recommendations are grounded in practical, scalable solutions. I also convene stakeholders – governments, civil society, and the private sector – to collaborate around inclusive, equitable digital growth.
In your view, which geographical areas need accelerated digital transformation?
There is a clear and urgent need across rural and underserved regions – not just in Africa, but globally. Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and remote areas in Latin America all face deep digital divides. But even within developed economies, urban-rural gaps persist. It’s not just about access – it’s about quality, affordability, and meaningful use of digital tools.
What role do public-private partnerships play in accelerating digital transformation efforts in these regions?
Public-private partnerships are essential. Governments set policy direction and provide enabling infrastructure, while companies like Vodacom bring in capital, innovation, and speed. We’ve seen tremendous success in co-investing in rural networks, supporting digital education, and collaborating on e-government platforms. The most successful models are co-designed and co-owned – built on trust, mutual benefit, and long-term impact.
What does a digitally transformed utopia look like to you? Everyone with affordable access to the internet? Maybe diversity of digital entrepreneurs?
For me, a digitally transformed society is one where connectivity is a right, not a privilege. Everyone – regardless of geography, gender, or income – can access and meaningfully use the internet. It’s a world where small businesses can thrive online, where young people can learn without limits, and where artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms are building, not breaking, equity. It’s also about seeing a diverse ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs, not just concentrated in capitals, but active in townships, villages, and informal markets.
Do you have a view on how rural and poor communities, in particular, can utilise AI to improve their lives?
Absolutely. AI, when responsibly deployed, can radically improve service delivery and opportunity in under-resourced communities. Think AI-powered tools for early crop diagnostics in smallholder farms, language-inclusive health chatbots, or learning companions for schools without teachers. But access alone isn’t enough – localisation, trust, and training are key to turning AI from an abstract concept into real, everyday value for rural and poor communities.
Are there moves in place to educate people on how to best use AI tools?
Yes, and it’s an area we need to urgently scale. Vodacom employs both classical and generative AI capabilities across multiple operational domains, including customer experience personalisation, network performance optimisation, fraud detection systems, fintech, automated business intelligence, and internal workflow automation. Through strategic partnerships with tech giants like AWS, Google and Microsoft, Vodacom is positioning itself to democratise AI benefits across Africa while transforming from a traditional telecom operator into an AI-native service provider.
For example, Techstart, Vodacom Group’s partnership programme with AWS. It is an ambitious initiative designed to upskill 1 million young people across Africa over the next three years. Building on the success of our “Code Like a Girl” programme, which has trained over 23,000 young girls across the continent, we recognise the urgent need for digital, future-ready skills in Africa.
Through Techstart, participants gain access to world-class learning opportunities, including foundational and advanced technology skills, designed to bridge the gap between education and employability. It also seeks to empower individuals looking to start their journey in technology and learn about topics like big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity, Internet of Things and AI.
Furthermore, the billion-dollar and decade-long alliances we have with Google and AWS are particularly significant: the Google partnership leverages state-of-the-art frameworks and models for enhanced customer experiences and network optimisation, and cloud training whilst the Microsoft deal focuses on Azure OpenAI integration, enterprise services, and cloud transformation, with both partnerships targeting consumers, support to governments and businesses across Europe and Africa to accelerate digital transformation in under-served markets.
Lastly, what’s the biggest, most pressing obstacle to digital transformation?
I would say three interlinked barriers:
- Affordability,
- Digital literacy, and
- Policy and regulatory fragmentation
Connectivity must be affordable. Skills must be nurtured from the ground up. And we need harmonised, future-facing policies that enable innovation while protecting rights. If we get these right, the digital future will be far more inclusive – and far more powerful.
