Renowned women's and children's rights advocate Graça Machel has been appointed as a trustee of the newly established Vodacom Foundation Board. As a veteran leader in development and civil society, Machel brings decades of experience in education, economic empowerment, and women's and children's rights. Her appointment comes as Vodacom aims to consolidate its social-impact initiatives across Africa. The Vodacom Foundation sets an ambitious goal to positively affect 50-million lives across Africa by 2030.
The Vodacom Foundation, which brings together eight foundations operating across its footprint under one umbrella, has appointed a seven-member board chaired by renowned economist Dr Vera Songwe. Songwe, a former UN under-secretary-general and former executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, will guide the foundation's shift towards scalable, digitally enabled programmes. The board comprises experts in economic development, public policy, technology, sustainability, governance, and social impact.
Machel's appointment was welcomed by the Graça Machel Trust, which described it as recognition of her decades of leadership and contribution to inclusive development across the continent. The trust said it was proud to see Machel's work reflected in the new pan-African initiative. Vodacom Group said the new foundation would strengthen and co-ordinate the group's social-impact work across Africa.
The Vodacom Foundation will focus on three key areas: connected health, connected education, and digital skilling. Under connected health, the foundation plans to develop digital approaches aimed at improving health outcomes. This includes maternal-care networks linking community screening, pregnancy tracking, frontline healthcare support, and emergency referral pathways.
The foundation's connected education pillar will work to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes in remote and understaffed classrooms using digital tools, coaching, and data-led support. A flagship initiative under this pillar is Classroom Compass, a digital platform designed to support teachers and students through classroom tools, teacher coaching, AI-enabled planning, and real-time data.
The digital-skilling pillar will focus on young people's access to employment and economic opportunities. Key activities will include market-aligned digital skills, internships and placement pathways, entrepreneurship support, and career acceleration. Vodacom Group CEO and Vodacom Foundation founder Shameel Joosub said the new structure would allow the organisation to expand successful initiatives across the continent.
Machel joins Joosub, Songwe, and four other senior executives and development specialists on the board. The board members bring a wealth of experience in their respective fields, including regional operational and governance experience, sustainability, and social impact. With Machel's appointment, the Vodacom Foundation is well-positioned to achieve its goal of positively impacting 50-million lives across Africa by 2030.
Key points
- Graça Machel's appointment to the Vodacom Foundation Board brings decades of experience in women's and children's rights, education, and economic empowerment.
- The Vodacom Foundation aims to positively affect 50-million lives across Africa by 2030 through its focus on connected health, connected education, and digital skilling.
- The foundation's board, chaired by Dr Vera Songwe, comprises experts in economic development, public policy, technology, sustainability, governance, and social impact.
