VODAFONE GRP

Overview

Vodafone Group Plc is a telecommunications company focused on mobile and fixed connectivity across Europe and Africa. The company describes itself as a leading European and African telecoms operator, and most of its revenue comes from core fixed and mobile services, complemented by digital services, Internet of Things offerings and financial services for consumer and business customers [1][2].

Vodafone provides mobile and fixed services to more than 275 million customers in 15 countries, with additional customers served through joint ventures and associates in five countries, and it also partners with mobile networks in over 40 countries outside its direct footprint [3]. The company states that its purpose is to connect everyone, and that it aims to build an inclusive, sustainable and trusted digital society where individuals and businesses can thrive [4][5]. As a broad indicator of scale, Vodafone reported revenue of €37.448 billion for the year ended 31 March 2025 and averaged 88,780 employees during the year [6][7]. [1]+6

Products & services

Vodafone’s product portfolio is centered on fixed and mobile connectivity, which the company says still accounts for the majority of its revenue, alongside newer digital services, IoT and financial services offerings [8]. Its consumer products include mobile and fixed-line connectivity services, converged plans, fixed broadband and pay-TV, with gigabit broadband delivered over FTTH and cable networks and mobile broadband supported by 4G and 5G networks [9]+3. Vodafone reports customer scale of about 310 million mobile customers, 22 million broadband customers and 15 million TV customers [13]+2.

For businesses, Vodafone markets unified communications, IoT, cloud and security services over its global network [16]. The company specifically cites Consumer IoT propositions and about 205 million IoT connections, and describes cloud-related offerings around multi-cloud flexibility, edge computing, and fast, secure, low-latency connectivity for remote processing and centralized data storage [17]+4. In cybersecurity, Vodafone says security is built into its products and services, using a NIST-based operating model, ISO 27001 certification, more than 900 cyber specialists and over 1,000 penetration tests annually; it also highlights security work tied to 5G Standalone and Open RAN [22]+4.

Vodafone’s financial-services products are led by M-Pesa, which it describes as a mobile money and digital financial-services platform, alongside VodaPay and Vodafone Cash [26]+2. The platform’s capabilities include money transfers, bill payments, e-commerce, savings, investments, lending, insurance, salary payments, short-term loans and merchant payments [29]+2. Vodafone reports 77 million financial-services customers in Africa and 1.2 million merchants in its super-app and M-Pesa ecosystem, and it noted 15.5% growth in financial-services revenue in the cited period [32]+2. [8]+26

Geographic presence

Vodafone Group’s core operating footprint is in Europe and Africa. The group says it provides mobile and fixed services in 15 countries, serves over 275 million customers directly, has joint ventures or associates serving a further 66 million customers in five countries, and partners with networks in over 40 additional markets outside its owned footprint. Its reported geographic segments are Germany, the UK, Other Europe, Türkiye and Africa; within those disclosures, “Other Europe” covers Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Romania, while the Africa segment is centered on Vodacom Group and includes Egypt. The group’s registered office is in Newbury, Berkshire, England.[35]+4

In FY25, reported service revenue was highest in Germany at €10.9 billion, followed by Africa at €6.2 billion, the UK at €5.9 billion, Other Europe at €4.8 billion and Türkiye at €2.5 billion. Germany is also the group’s largest fixed-line market, with €5.9 billion of fixed service revenue versus €5.0 billion mobile; in the UK, service revenue comprised €4.3 billion mobile and €1.6 billion fixed.[36]

Average employees in FY25 were 14,341 in Germany, 9,332 in the UK, 11,744 in Other Europe, 14,036 in Africa and 3,164 in Türkiye; total average employees were 87,780 excluding discontinued operations.[38] [35]+4

Business segments

Vodafone’s current IFRS 8 reportable operating segments are Germany, UK, Other Europe, Türkiye, Africa and Common Functions. Germany, UK, Türkiye and Africa are identified as individually material segments, while Other Europe aggregates Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Romania. Common Functions is a separate reporting segment for activities mainly undertaken in central Group entities that are not aggregated with the operating segments, and Adjusted EBITDAaL is the segment performance measure. Spain and Italy are treated as discontinued operations and are excluded from current segment reporting.[40]+3

The segment structure is primarily geographic: Germany and the UK are standalone national businesses; Türkiye is separately reported; Africa groups Vodacom-led operations in South Africa, Tanzania, Egypt, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lesotho, together with Safaricom interests in Kenya and Ethiopia; and Other Europe covers the remaining European markets noted above. Based on FY25 reported segment revenue, Germany contributed about 33% of group revenue (€12.2bn), Africa about 21% (€7.8bn), the UK about 19% (€7.1bn), Other Europe about 15% (€5.7bn), Türkiye about 8% (€3.1bn) and Common Functions about 5% (€1.8bn), with eliminations slightly negative; taken together, the Europe-oriented segments of Germany, UK, Other Europe and Türkiye represented roughly three-quarters of reported revenue.[44]+2 [40]+5

Company history

Vodafone was founded in Newbury on 17 July 1984 by Gerry Whent and Ernest Harrison, and was incorporated the same year as Racal Strategic Radio Limited. After a partial public offering of Racal Telecom in 1988, the business was fully demerged from Racal Electronics in September 1991 and renamed Vodafone Group Plc.[46][47] In its early years, Vodafone was associated with several mobile-industry milestones, including the first mobile phone call over a cellular network in 1985, the first international roaming call in 1991, and the first text message sent on its network in 1992.[48][49]

Vodafone expanded rapidly through large-scale transactions at the turn of the century. Its merger with AirTouch Communications completed on 30 June 1999, and in 2000 it acquired Mannesmann AG, adding major businesses in Germany and Italy; that same year it combined U.S. cellular operations with Bell Atlantic and GTE to create Verizon Wireless, in which Vodafone held a 45% stake.[50]+2 A later strategic milestone came in 2014, when Vodafone disposed of its U.S. group, whose principal asset was its Verizon Wireless stake, and in 2020 it launched Vantage Towers as a separate tower infrastructure business.[53][54] [47]+8

Sources

• VODAFONE GRP — Full financial report (2025 Y)
  36 citations

  [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][10][11][12][13][14][15][18][21][22][23][24][25][26][28][29][30][32][33][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45]
• VODAFONE GRP — Full financial report (2024 Y)
  9 citations

  [8][9][16][17][19][20][27][31][47]
• VODAFONE GRP — Presentation (2024 Q 1)[34]
• www.vodafone.com[46]
• www.vodafone.com[48]
• www.vodafone.com[49]
• VODAFONE GRP — Full financial report (2020 Y)[50]
• VODAFONE GRP — Full financial report (2015 Y)[51][52]
• VODAFONE GRP — Full financial report (2014 Y)[53]
• www.vodafone.com[54]