Brief
Vera Songwe named chair of Vodacom Foundation board
The seven‑member board will oversee a unified structure for Vodacom’s eight country foundations.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Vodacom Foundation announced on 30 September 2026 that economist Dr Vera Songwe will chair a newly formed seven‑member board as the telecom group consolidates its eight country foundations into a single pan‑African structure.
The board includes Vodacom Group CEO and Foundation founder Shameel Joosub, humanitarian Graça Machel, Vodacom Group chief officer for external affairs Ayman Essam, chief officer for legal, risk and compliance Anna Isaac, Vodacom Mauritius executive Gerhard van Niekerk, and foundation executive head Mashudu Ndou.
According to the foundation, the unified board will focus on three pillars – connected health, connected education and digital skilling – aiming to positively impact 50 million lives across Africa by 2030. Initiatives cited include a digitally enabled maternal‑care network, the Classroom Compass platform for teachers, and youth‑focused digital‑skills programmes.
Songwe said the target translates technology and connectivity into scalable programmes addressing developmental challenges. Joosub added that the strengthened leadership and regional approach would help scale programmes, deepen partnerships and create measurable social impact.
Key facts
- Dr Vera Songwe will chair the new Vodacom Foundation board (bizcommunity.com)
- The board comprises seven members including Shameel Joosub and Graça Machel (bizcommunity.com)
- The foundation aims to reach 50 million Africans by 2030 through health, education and digital skilling programmes (bizcommunity.com)
- Vodacom serves over 243 million customers and covers a population of more than 596 million people (bizcommunity.com)
Sources
- [1] bizcommunity.com — originally reported as “Vera Songwe to chair new Vodacom Foundation board”
