- Africa’s digital growth is increasing energy demand while many sectors still rely on diesel powered backup generation due to weak grid infrastructure.
- Vodacom reports major emissions cuts including a 77% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions since FY2020 and near zero scope 2 emissions in most operations.
- The company calls for energy reform, expanded renewable procurement and decentralised power solutions such as mini grids to scale decarbonisation.
Vodacom Group has called for coordinated multi sector action to decarbonise Africa’s fast growing digital economy, warning that rising data demand and infrastructure expansion are increasing pressure on already constrained power systems across the continent.
As climate risks intensify and electricity demand grows, many sectors including telecommunications, mining, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing continue to rely on carbon intensive and costly diesel generators due to weak grid infrastructure and unreliable electricity supply. The company argues that addressing this challenge will require system wide energy reforms, stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders and new financing models to unlock investment in renewable and decentralised energy solutions.
The call to action follows the release of Vodacom’s white paper Decarbonising Africa’s ICT Sector, which examines the energy transition challenges facing one of the continent’s fastest growing industries. The report highlights the dual reality of Africa’s digital expansion, where growing network infrastructure is essential for economic inclusion but also drives rising energy consumption.
According to Vodacom Group, decarbonisation efforts in Africa cannot succeed through isolated interventions at company level alone. The company stresses that progress depends on enabling policy frameworks that support private sector participation, scalable renewable energy procurement mechanisms such as power purchase agreements, and wider deployment of decentralised systems including mini grids to power remote network sites.
Vodacom Chief Officer External Affairs Ayman Essam said decarbonisation requires systemic change across the energy ecosystem, including regulatory reform and innovative partnerships that can scale clean energy deployment beyond individual organisations.
The report notes that Africa remains highly exposed to climate change impacts while facing persistent structural energy challenges, including weak grid networks, limited utility balance sheets, complex regulatory environments and unreliable electricity supply. These factors continue to slow renewable energy adoption and sustain dependence on diesel generation across multiple industries.
Despite these constraints, Vodacom highlights measurable progress within its own operations. In the past financial year, the group matched 100% of purchased grid electricity with renewable sources, reducing scope 2 market based emissions to near zero across most operations. Since FY2020, the company has reduced scope 1 and 2 market based greenhouse gas emissions by 77%, driven by energy efficiency gains and renewable electricity procurement.
Operational efficiency improvements have also reduced the energy intensity of data transmission from 1.55 megawatt hours per terabyte in FY2020 to 0.36 megawatt hours per terabyte in FY2025. Today, 61% of Vodacom’s total scope 1 and 2 energy consumption is sourced from renewables, including onsite generation, power purchase agreements and renewable energy certificates.
The white paper, developed with technical support from the Carbon Trust, draws on sector analysis, case studies and interviews across the information and communications technology and energy value chains, including utilities, regulators, financial institutions and technology providers.
Vodacom says the findings are intended to support more coordinated industry action and to highlight the opportunity for Africa to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable digital economy through accelerated decarbonisation.
Click here to download the paper.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
