Maintaining trust
In today’s increasingly competitive landscape, building and maintaining a relationship of trust and respect with all our stakeholders is a vital driver of our success. The trust of our customers to set in place effective controls to protect their privacy and data, the belief of our employees to develop their skills and grow their roles in our organisation, and the ability of our company to rely on sound governance structure to ensure business continuity and a supportive work environment are not only targets we hope to achieve, but are rather the building blocks enabling our future expansion.
Developing our employees
A testament to the effectiveness of our training and awareness programmes, we recorded no cases of non-compliance on environment, human rights, health and safety impacts of products and services, information, labelling and marketing, laws, and regulations during FY 2024.
Fostering workplace equality
We are firm believers that creating a diversified and inclusive culture which nurtures our differences and blends our shared experiences is key to a healthy, sustainable and successful environment. We have put in place several controls, and launched various initiatives, which have set a new benchmark that serves as a beacon of hope for a more equitable and accessible future.
Developing employee skills
At Vodafone Egypt, we focus on personally and professionally developing our employees, offering tailored training programmes, councils, and committees for our youth to increase their workplace exposure and develop into the leaders of tomorrow. In line with our commitment to create an environment which fosters employee development and professional growth, we offer thousands of training courses for our employees, ranging from technical and professional development trainings to leadership trainings.
Living the Spirit of Vodacom
Whether it is driving the business, increasing our service offering across the country, giving back to the community, or protecting the planet, our people are our most valuable asset in achieving our goals. Vodafone Egypt’s employees are bound together with a common culture of values and beliefs, guiding how we think, interact, and collaborate on a daily basis. This culture is manifested in what we call the “Spirit of Vodacom”. Our employees remain constantly connected with our company vision and culture through unique digital experiences on the Vodafoners App.
Protecting people
At Vodafone Egypt, ensuring the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and suppliers is a core value. We have a unique opportunity to advance the fundamental rights of our customers, employees, and communities. As such, we focus on creating a safe working environment for everyone working for and on behalf of Vodafone Egypt in our local market.
Creating a safe work environment
We are dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all our stakeholders. Employees are trained in health and safety measures and educated on the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. We obtained the ISO 45003 Verification for psychological health and safety at work and ISO 45001 Certified since 2018.
We also launched the iAssist employee assistance programme, a programme dedicated to supporting our employees and prioritizing their mental health. Through the iAssist programme, employees can book counselling and therapy sessions to discuss any pressures they may be facing and get advice from professionals.
“Speak Up”: Everyone who works for or on behalf of Vodafone has a responsibility to report any behaviour at work that may be unlawful or criminal, or could amount to an abuse of our policies, systems or processes and, therefore, be a breach of our Code of Conduct.
Respecting human rights
Our steadfast commitment to giving back to the community has remained a core focus. To uphold human rights within these communities we serve, we undertake various inclusive initiatives for everyone.
We enforce respecting human rights inside our workplace, examples of this enforcement, we launched the C.A.R.E (Compassion, Acceptance, Respect, Empathy) policy to create a work environment where everyone feels empowered to succeed. Through the initiative, we introduced flexible working hours, specific benefits, and compassionate leave for employees dealing with miscarriages, stillbirths, and bereavement.
We also adopted a Domestic Violence Policy for our employees, ensuring that we are always ready to support any of our employees facing domestic violence. The policy offers flexible working hours, additional days of paid leave, financial support, and other tools to our employees dealing with instances of abuse.
In our processes of hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident identification, we employ a “No Blame” culture, encouraging employees to report work-related hazards without fear of reprisal.
Protecting Data
As a leading telecommunications company, Vodafone Egypt is entrusted with the data of millions of customers who rely on our services every day. We are therefore keenly aware of our responsibility to respect the privacy and security of our customers, and we are committed to protecting their data from unauthorized access, misuse, or disclosure. To do this, we follow the highest standards of data protection, comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and have enacted a robust governance and risk management system to this effect.
Managing Data privacy
We understand that privacy is not only a legal obligation but also a fundamental human right and a key enabler of trust. That is why we have implemented a Privacy Risk Management Programme that helps us identify, assess, and mitigate the privacy risks associated with our operations, products, and services. Additionally, we respect the privacy of our customers and are committed to protecting their personal data in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, including that of the Egyptian Data Protection Law and where applicable, as well as EU privacy laws, such as GDPR. We developed a Privacy Policy that explains in detail how we handle our customers’ personal data and what measures we take to ensure its security and confidentiality. The policy also informs our customers about their rights and obligations regarding their personal data and regularly reflects any changes in our practices or in the legal and regulatory environment.
Protecting our network and systems cyber security
We adopted a robust cyber security operating model, aligned with leading local industry standards. Our cyber security baseline addresses critical risks to the business with a defined set of controls, and our dedicated team of cyber security experts collaborate with consultants and experts to follow best practices in maintaining data security. We also participate in several cyber security forums, including Digital Egypt builders, the Cybersecurity and Data Integration Systems Conference, and the Engineerex Summit to raise awareness among students and professionals and to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and industry practices.
We also hold an annual security awareness campaign for our employees and customers. This campaign emphases security guidelines and policies on topics including data protection, social engineering, anti-fraud, privacy and information security.
Responsible Business Practices
There is a set of policies and controls that we are complying with to make sure our business is responsibly operating. From corporate governance within the executive team, to integrity of business ethics and ethical conduct, to supporting local economic development, and others as tackled below.
Complying with policies and controls
At Vodafone Egypt, we are committed to good governance as a key driver of our sustainability performance, which enables us to manage our risks, opportunities, and impacts effectively and to create long-term value for our stakeholders. Vodafone Egypt’s corporate governance is based on the principles of long-term business resilience and value creation for our stakeholders. We uphold the highest standards of business ethics, integrity, legal and regulatory compliance, and sustainability and governance in our public policy and core foundation. We also leverage effective ESG integration and oversight to align our sustainable business strategy with our brand and reputation. This enables us to maintain a resilient and sustainable supply chain and to enhance our digital and technological capabilities.
Responsible purchasing and inclusive procurement
We recognise the vital role our suppliers and contractors play in ensuring the quality and efficiency of our operations and service delivery. We also understand that a responsible supply chain is not only more ethical but also more resilient to potential disruptions and risks. As such, we are committed to fostering a culture of sustainability and accountability among our partners, as well as within our own organisation.
Zero tolerance of bribery and corruption
We are committed to fostering a culture of integrity and ethical conduct. To achieve this, we performed comprehensive anti-corruption training programmes, reinforcing our stance against unethical practices, and promoting a workplace founded on transparency and accountability. One of the ways we uphold this is through the “Doing What’s Right” programme, a global communications programme that aims to engage with employees and raise awareness and understanding of ethical compliance policies.
Supporting local economic development
Vodafone Egypt is committed to creating shared value for its stakeholders and contributing to the sustainable development of the Egyptian economy. As such, we have invested in ensuring sustainable and long-term value generation for shareholders, as well as the consistent growth of our financial performance, which has far-reaching impacts on the local labour market, national digital intermediation, and development strategies, ultimately contributing to Egypt’s economic growth and prosperity. Additionally, we recognise the importance of ESG factors in creating long-term value for our shareholders and our business performance. By integrating ESG into our overall business and initiatives, we can achieve multiple benefits and improve our financial performance.