Telecommunications group Vodacom plans to invest more than R435-million during the 2025/26 financial year to boost network capacity in its Northern Gauteng Area, which spans the North West province and the Tshwane metropolitan municipality.

This strategic investment will target critical infrastructure upgrades, new site deployments and advanced technology rollouts to meet growing customer demand and support economic growth.

Included will be more than 190 new 5G sites, new 4G upgrades and new 700 MHz radio equipment to enhance coverage.

“Vodacom will also deploy new sites into underserved areas and provide broadband connectivity for the first time to areas like Ikagaleng township, near Zeerust, offering speeds of up to 350 Mb/s and enabling critical educational platforms and connectivity to the community,” says Northern Gauteng Area managing executive Christo de Wet.

By expanding and modernising the network across the Northern Gauteng Area, Vodacom is enabling access to digital services, education, healthcare and economic opportunities for millions of South Africans, he says.

In line with this, the Northern Gauteng Area is addressing affordability barriers that prevent many people from fully participating in the digital economy.

“The region offers personalised data and voice packages through Vodacom’s Just 4 You and Just 4 Your Town platforms, which deliver tailored deals based on customer behaviour and location, ensuring that customers can connect at lower costs suited to their specific needs.”

Further, customers in the North West province and the Tshwane municipality can access smartphones through Vodacom’s Easy2Own initiative, an affordable device financing model which will enable them to transition from basic connectivity to 4G- and 5G-enabled handsets.

“This is helping to increase smartphone penetration in the region and empower more residents to benefit from advanced digital services,” de Wet adds.

“This investment underpins our commitment to building a future-ready network that supports innovation, inclusivity and sustainability across all regions.”