Annual Report 2023

Mobile connectivity has transformed into a vital aspect of our daily lives. Being connected in today’s world is essential to remaining up to date on important news, checking in on friends and family, performing most business transactions, booking medical appointments, and many other cornerstones of daily life. Despite this, huge gaps in digital accessibility still exist across Egypt today. A significant proportion of the population does not yet have access to mobile, internet, and digital financial services. Several factors contribute to this ongoing divide. Some remote rural areas suffer from a lack of coverage, limiting access to connectivity for their inhabitants. Additionally, gender gaps in digital connectivity remain prevalent in many areas. Under this sub-pillar,we have 3 main themes: Enhancing coverage for all The first, step in closing the digital divide is ensuring our network coverage reaches all corners of the country. While we recognize and appreciate the significant challenges associated with expanding our network, we remain dedicated to paving the way for change. Through new partnerships and technologies, we have made significant progress over the past year in expanding our infrastructure, delivering reliable connectivity to rural areas. One of our main projects in connecting rural areas is our partnership with Hayah Karima initiative, under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, which aims to develop Egyptian lives in Rural Egypt through human, infrastructure and economic development. Providing affordable connectivity, devices and platforms We have tailored a holistic set of offerings ensuring that smartphone ownership is within reach for most members of the community. In FY 2023, we partnered with Samsung Egypt to introduce a fully Egyptian entry-level 4G smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy A04s is Vodafone Egypt’s solution to an affordable device with cutting-edge technology. Afterwards, we have introduced the A05s in FY 2025. We often pair subsidies and financing programmes made specifically for our low-income communities, helping our customers transition from 2G/3G to 4G handsets. Another step in ensuring accessibility to digital services is reducing the cost of data, making sure the cost of data is not an obstacle for anyone. In a bid to fight this, we have put in place several initiatives to reduce the cost of data. At a selection of our stores and online, we have introduced discounted contract deals targeting some segments, for example, people with disabilities. We remain vigilant in including accessibility as a key aspect in all our new product and service initiatives. To ensure that no extra funds are spent without the full knowledge and consent of our customers, we also introduced the MoneyBack Guarantee initiative starting in 2022. This platform enables our customers to review their subscriptions, mobile bundle purchases, and rate plans, to identify and cancel any unwanted subscriptions. Connecting and empowering women Access to mobile technology is an essential method to ensure the empowerment of more women in our community. Today, connectivity is a prerequisite to accessing digital financial services, accessing online educational content, searching for employment, and developing skills. Given the essential nature of connectivity for women, and in line with our efforts to continue bridging gender gaps, we have spearheaded several initiatives specifically targeting