Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), through its African subsidiary Vodacom Group Ltd (Vodacom), has officially acquired an additional 15% stake in Safaricom PLC from the Government of Kenya (GoK), effective 30 June 2026. This marks a significant shift in the ownership and control of East Africa’s largest telecommunications provider.
The finalisation of this deal follows the Court of Appeal in Nairobi, which, on 26 June 2026, lifted a conservatory order that had previously stayed the acquisition of the government’s shares.
The acquisition was executed through a block trade on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Furthermore, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of Kenya supported the transition by granting Vodafone Kenya an exemption from the requirement to make a mandatory takeover offer to all remaining shareholders.
The transaction was part of a larger strategic reorganisation. Alongside the 15% stake purchased from the GoK for KES 204 billion (€1.36 billion), an additional 5% stake was transferred from Vodafone Group to Vodacom for KES 68 billion (€0.45 billion).As a result of the transaction, Vodacom Group Limited now owns 100% of Vodafone Kenya Limited.
Following the acquisition and internal restructuring, Safaricom PLC’s shareholding structure comprises Vodafone Kenya Limited with a 55% stake, the Government of the Republic of Kenya holding 20%, and the remaining 25% owned by the general public investors.
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This shift grants Vodacom a controlling interest in Safaricom, a company with a market capitalisation of approximately €7.7 billion. This control is especially significant for the future of M-Pesa, which currently serves 38 million customers in Kenya and processes over 100 million transactions daily.
While a petition remains active before the High Court of Kenya, which heard the matter on 29 June 2026, the lifting of the stay allows the parties to move forward with the transaction.
Beyond Kenya, the deal consolidates Vodacom’s influence over Safaricom Ethiopia, where Safaricom holds a majority stake. While the government remains a 20% shareholder, Safaricom and its mobile money platform will now be fully consolidated into the financial statements of both Vodacom and Vodafone.
