Inclusion for all
Supporting Entrepreneurs through Shark Tank Egypt Sponsorship
Mirame Khamis always loved reading and writing stories, especially for children. She wanted to share her passion for Arabic literature with the younger generation, but she faced many challenges in the Egyptian publishing industry. She struggled to find high-quality books that reflected the culture and identity of Egyptian children, and faced difficulties in distributing her books to a wider audience. She decided to create her own publishing company, Asfoura Books, to fill this gap and make Arabic books more accessible and enjoyable for kids.
However, Mirame still needed more capital, more exposure, and more digital tools to grow her brand and expand her market. That is when she heard about Shark Tank Egypt, which she saw as a golden opportunity to showcase her work and secure funding for her company. She applied for the show and faced five Sharks who were ready to grill her on every aspect of her business model, from market size and customer acquisition to revenue streams and growth potential.
While the Sharks were impressed by Mirame’s pitch and praised her creativity and vision seeing a potential to create positive social change, they also pointed out some of the challenges and risks involved in the publishing industry. That is where Vodafone Egypt Business came in with their support for entrepreneurs to grow from the ideation phase to a successful digitally empowered startup and granted her the Golden Ticket. She showed great desire to work with Vodafone Business Egypt to digitise her business and take its performance forward, ultimately enhancing the competitive edge of Asfoura Books
“The Golden Ticket was just what I needed to develop my startup: the consultation, the digital expertise and the wide reach … Vodafone Business helps me in understanding Egyptians’ consumer behaviour” she said.
Mirame’s story is one of other examples of how Vodafone Business Egypt is supporting entrepreneurs by sponsoring Shark Tank Egypt. From this round, Vodafone Business had the opportunity to work closely with three contestants and provide them with digital solutions and consulting services to help them digitise their businesses, improve their performance, and enhance their competitive edge.
Deepened by our aim to inspire other entrepreneurs, we created a Vodafone Egypt Business owned online show “Beyond the Tank” to showcase the human stories behind contestants’ performance and feature successful startups in Egypt.
Being part of the unique platform Shark Tank Egypt, Vodafone Business Egypt is stimulating meaningful dialogues on entrepreneurship across the nation, demystifying the investment and startup journey, by integrating links to the V-Hub Knowledge Centre. This endeavour, rooted in sustainability, fortifies the SME ecosystem and catalyses growth, ultimately contributing to the nation’s vibrant economy.
Improving Outcomes through Digital Healthcare
Vodafone Egypt is a pioneering force in the nation’s digital healthcare journey. Spearheading the largest digital transformation projects in the Egyptian healthcare sector, we lead the charge in two pivotal national endeavours: the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) initiative, which marks a significant reform in the Egyptian health insurance scheme spanning six governorates, and digitalising the Egyptian University Hospitals, a national initiative that spans 12 universities nationwide.
At the heart of our healthcare initiatives lies a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions. From Hospital Information Systems (HIS) to Payer Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to Hospital Accreditation Modules, Call Centre Management to Patient Engagement Solutions, we offer a spectrum of digital tools. This array of solutions is expanding to include cloud services and inclusive payment solutions like Vodafone Cash.
We are currently live in 197 hospitals serving more than 5 million citizens, and targeting to expand in 439 healthcare facilities to serve 15 million citizens on annual basis.
Vodafone Egypt’s engagement transcends technology, offering a range of professional services that includes consulting and learning opportunities to partners and clients. Functioning as the prime integrator, we take on the pivotal role of orchestrating professional services, managing implementation milestones, and ensuring seamless solution delivery. We have digitally trained more than 25,000 healthcare staff on using the newly embedded systems.
One of the beneficiaries of Vodafone Egypt’s digital healthcare solutions is Dr. Moustafa Gamal, Vice Manager at Cardio Academy Hospital at Ain Shams University Hospital. Dr. Moustafa can now access his patients’ electronic medical records anytime and anywhere using the hospital’s computer system. “I can easily locate my patients in seconds by searching, therefore saving me a lot of time. I can monitor my hospital occupancy rate and bed availability as well,” he added.
“Clinical research will go far beyond what we were previously able to do now, as opposed to the paper-based system” said Dr. Elham Arif, Vice Manager of the Geriatrics Hospital.
Inclusion for All
Bridging the Urban-Rural Digital Divide
Alaa Hamdy and Mohamed Khamis are two fourth-grade students who live in a rural village in Upper Egypt. Like many children in rural communities, Alaa and Mohamed’s school lacks adequate access to the tools necessary for a thriving educational environment. Their situation is not uncommon as 25.5% of rural Egyptian children do not receive secondary education, compared to 14.5% of Egyptian children in urban areas — a disparity that is also reflected in the tools available to children at schools in rural areas.
In 2021, we initiated a strategic partnership through Hayah Karima; the nationwide developmental initiative, endorsed by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to provide coverage and data for rural villages across the country. In order to further support this ecosystem, Vodafone Egypt Foundation enables the underserved schools in Hayah Karima with connectivity, devices, and digital content on Ta3limy to implement an integrated digital education system. In FY2023 alone, we connected over 100 public schools and classrooms, improving over 350,000 lives across governorates.
Alaa and Mohamed living in Hayah Karima villages can now access online learning platforms, digital content, and interactive resources that enrich their curriculum and make learning more accessible, comprehensive, and engaging. Alaa said: “ We were completely disconnected before having desktops and the internet in class. Now, with the hardware and connectivity, we are more connected to the world than ever. ” Mohamed agreed, adding: “ Desktops and the internet were never provided to us before. I have always wanted to learn how to type on a keyboard and use a mouse but never had access to these tools before .”
Through concerted efforts to establish new communication sites and extend network coverage across rural governorates, Vodafone Egypt has successfully provided 714 villages in Hayah Karima with access to vital digital services through a total of 980 sites. We believe that everyone deserves access to a strong mobile network and the opportunities it brings . As such, we aim to contribute to driving digital inclusivity by bringing marginalised populations into the digital age. Additionally, we have focused on rural coverage and universal service obligations (USO) bids to support extending connectivity to all, with plans to add 123 new sites in the year ahead.
Financial Inclusion and Digital Economy through Vodafone Cash
Egypt has one of the highest unbanked populations in the world, with 67% of adults lacking access to financial services. To address this, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) launched its Financial Inclusion Strategy 2022–2025, a national development plan focusing on expanding access to financial services and developing financial literacy. At Vodafone Egypt, a transformative shift in financial accessibility has been taking place, with Vodafone Cash (VF Cash) at the forefront. Launched in 2013, the VF Cash e-wallet and financial services platform has been connecting every corner of the nation and ensuring that everyone, banked or unbanked, could readily access essential financial services.
In this reporting year, VF Cash has reached 16.4 million wallet holders , 5.4 million active monthly users , with approximate transactions worth EGP 649 billion per year , well established as a trusted fintech market leader. The platform primarily started out with a focus on peer-to-peer money transfers offering users a convenient instant money transfer experience accessible across the country.
“ Now that Vodafone Cash is available everywhere in the country, I am able to deposit and withdraw money from my wallet at any time and from any place, like the kiosk right beneath my house or my work. It’s a real convenience not to have to go to the Vodafone branch itself. Also, the fact that everyone knows about it makes life much easier ” noted one user.
VF Cash has evolved into a versatile solution, extending beyond mere money transfers to cover all financial needs, from instalments and dues to online shopping and utility payments. The platform also offers worldwide payment acceptance through online virtual cards, and payment options for educational fees, such as tuition, as well as supporting donations to more than 80 NGOs.
The platform provides numerous add-on benefits, as we are always expanding our network of participating merchants to meet the diverse payment requirements. Expressed by a beneficiary: “ Using Vodafone Cash, I receive gifts and offers. For instance, when I transfer money, I can get 10 extra pounds in gift wallet balance. Making multiple transfers can also earn me 20 or 30 pounds in net gift balance .”
Enabling Quality Education through Ta3limy
The Ta3limy programme was launched by the Vodafone Egypt Foundation with the goal of preparing students, parents, and teachers for the demands of the digital age. The comprehensive digital learning platform is designed to provide free of charge, high-quality educational content to Egyptian K-12 students, as well as their teachers and parents. Ta3limy offers a wide range of educational resources, including curricula in digital, language, and soft skills, provided through partnerships with institutions that include Google, AI Mentor, and Microsoft. Through these collaborations, students have access to world-class content that is crucial to their holistic development.
Additionally, Ta3limy has successfully provided learning opportunities to students with learning difficulties or those who require alternative learning methods to thrive. The tailored guidance and content Ta3limy offer to parents and teachers have proven to be instrumental in enhancing the educational experience for these students.
Two young students, Basmallah Mohamed and Waad Mahmoud, embarked on their digital educational journeys through Ta3limy and quickly grasped how to register on the platform and explore. Discovering the convenience of having all her study materials consolidated in one place.
Waad said, “I’m studying much faster now that all of the material is in one place, and it’s much easier to understand everything.” Another student shared “I learned to study online on Ta3limy by watching videos; I like it much better than reading books”.
Waad said, “I’m studying much faster now that all of the material is in one place, and it’s much easier to understand everything.” Another student shared “I learned to study online on Ta3limy by watching videos; I like it much better than reading books”.
At Ta3limy, we also provide trainings for parents that cover positive parenting, cybersecurity, languages, and soft skills. Also, providing teachers with a comprehensive development platform to enable them in effectively engaging students in a digital learning environment.
In our efforts to further expand our reach to those less privileged with resources and connectivity, we have successfully provided 100 public schools in rural Hayah Karima villages with connectivity, devices, and trainings through Ta3limy, and are currently working to expand our reach further to include an additional 200 schools in the upcoming year.
Instant Network Schools Connecting Refugees and their Host Communities
The Instant Network Schools (INS) project was set up in 2021 in Egypt by Vodafone Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ministry of Education, with renowned football player Mohamed Salah as a Global Ambassador back then. The goal was to provide young refugees, as well as their host communities and teachers, with the opportunity to access digital learning content and the internet to improve their quality of education. INS covers 18 public schools that are now provided with advanced technology for students and teachers alike, digital educational content, training, and access to the internet.
Since then, INS has touched the lives of individuals like Jana AbdelHameed, a bright third grade student, and Hekmat Abo Zeid, a computer teacher at Mosaad Abo Ebeid School. Jana enthusiastically shared her INS experience saying, “ When I was first enrolled in INS, I started using a tablet, which really made me very interested in technology in general .” But INS was not just a technological tool; it fostered a spirit of teamwork and collaboration between students. Jana recognised this, adding, “ I also learned the value of teamwork because we are always helping each other and doing projects together. ”
Hekmat, a teacher with a lifelong aspiration of being an educator, said, “ My school was one of the first to work with INS. It has always been a dream of mine to spread technology in schools and for my students to be able to use it well .”Through INS, she found a unique avenue to establish strong bonds with her students while enriching their minds with invaluable knowledge.
In the year ahead, Vodafone Egypt Foundation plans to connect more public schools and have a total of 48 INS hubs in Egypt , serving 100,000 beneficiaries every month, making it the largest INS hub in Africa.
Vodafone and Mersal Foundation: The Top-Up Card that Saved Lives
What if you could save a life with a text message? What if you could raise millions in minutes? That is just what one young girl did when she decided one day to donate her EGP 10 Vodafone top-up card to the Mersal Foundation, a leading NGO that provides medical and social services to underprivileged people in Egypt. She didn’t know that her small act of kindness would start a wave of generosity reaching millions of people and making a difference in hundreds of lives.
Living our spirit at Vodafone Egypt, we believe in the power of digital philanthropy. That’s why when founder and CEO of Mersal Foundation, Dr. Heba Rashed, accepted the donation and shared the story on social media, we were moved by the compassion and courage one voice could have. We wanted to honour her gesture and amplify its impact and decided to match every donation made to the Mersal Foundation . We invited everyone to join us in this campaign and show their support for this noble cause
The response was overwhelming. The campaign took off on social media, with people sharing their donations and inspiring others to follow. In just a few hours, the campaign raised EGP 11.8 million , which was used to provide medical care and equipment for hundreds of premature babies across Egypt. Out of this, EGP 7 million were eligible for match-funding . We are grateful to everyone who participated and contributed to this success and to the young girl that showed us that we can make a difference together.
An Invitation for Women to Return Back to their Careers
Salwa AbdelHalim at Vodafone Egypt’s Technology Department and Hala Abdellatif of our Vodafone Business Department were once two bright calibres who decided to take a career break to care for their children and family and, while they thought it would be a temporary pause, time went by and returning to work became more of a challenge, with fears of skills going out of date and worries looming about balancing professional and personal responsibilities. They are not alone. Many women in Egypt face similar challenges after taking a career break for various reasons, such as marriage, child-care, elder-care, or health issues. Women face barriers in re-entering the labour market, such as lack of flexible work arrangements, childcare support, and mentorship.
That’s why we created Returnship , a six-month paid internship programme for Egyptian women who had been out of the job market for two to five years . The programme reintegrated women back into the workplace through a strong development plan tailormade for participants. On its first cohort, Hala and Salwa applied for the programme and were delighted to be among the seven selected women returners. They quickly adapted to the new work environment and learned new skills and tools, receiving guidance and support from their manager, mentor, and colleagues. “The Returnship programme has not only provided me with the opportunity to reignite my career but has also equipped me with new skills, knowledge, and a renewed sense of purpose. ” Salwa said.
“I have personally and technically developed throughout the learning journey. Every day, I learn something new from the programme,” Hala added.
The programme has not only helped women to restart their professional journey but also helped Vodafone Egypt tap into a pool of diverse and talented candidates who can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the company.
Breaking Barriers with Artificial Intelligence
In Egypt, it is estimated that 10.5% of the population aged five or older have some kind of disability. As part of our commitment to leaving no one behind, we launched the AI Assistive Tools Hackathon to help build technological tools that empower people with disabilities in the workplace. The hackathon, which took place in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Synapse Analytics, Plug and Play local incubator, and Helm organization, saw team building tools to create safer and more efficient workplaces for people with disabilities. With 30 entries, 13 of which were individuals with disabilities, the final initiative consisted of five teams of five members, at least two of whom had a disability.
Abdelrahman Omran, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, applied for the AI Assistive Tools Hackathon, and his team had decided to work on an ingenious sign language translator utilizing transfer learning project to break down communication barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing. The team had to test their prototype with real users, debug their code, and pitch their idea to a panel of judges.
“ Participating in the Vodafone AI Hackathon proved to be a truly enlightening experience, unveiling the remarkable potential of technology to empower individuals with disabilities within professional environments. The seamless collaboration across various sectors underscored the significance of interdisciplinary approaches, leaving me inspired by the ingenuity of solutions and their potential applications ,” Abdelrahman said
Abdelrahman and his team were overjoyed when they heard their name as the second-place winners. The first-place winners won a monetary prize worth EGP 250,000, and the chance to incubate and further develop their project with Vodafone Egypt and their various technology and business solutions. The second- place won a training opportunity to incubate the project provided by Plug and Play, as well as receiving technical tools from Vodafone Egypt to help in their project implementation. And the third-place winners won an incubation training as well.
Planet
Connecting COP27, Driving Climate Action
The world came together at COP27 in Egypt to take bold and urgent steps to address the global climate crisis. The historic global conference brought together 45,000 delegates from 197 countries to discuss and agree on the urgent actions needed to achieve tangible results. Egypt, as well as Vodafone as a Principal Partner for Communications , played a crucial role in showcasing leadership on climate action, connecting all visitors through Eco-SUM bundles, as well as dedicating a call center and Chatbot to COP27 visitors support . Also, we have been able to build 6 new network sites in 3 months for enhanced connectivity in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Vodafone’s unwavering dedication to climate leadership was illustrated through our pivotal role as the headline partner, with our prominent presence at the conference symbolising our resolute commitment to driving business participation in the green digital transition, with our commitment to operate 100% on renewable energy by 2025 .
Ambassador Achraf Ibrahim, Assistant Foreign Minister and the General coordinator for COP27 , commented on the success of the global conference as a milestone for Egypt and the region: “Our partnership with Vodafone on COP27 was quite a remarkable representation of public-private partnerships in Egypt. Since we first kicked off the negotiations, they were not only interested in the sponsorship but rather keen on working hand in hand with the Egyptian government and UNFCC towards the actual implementation of common goals. I can confidently say that Vodafone’s digital capabilities, advanced connectivity solutions, and, above all, their commitment to purpose highly contributed to the success of COP27 in Egypt and Africa. We look forward to more partnerships for good that will accelerate fighting climate change and its negative effects on our planet, as well as help in achieving the UN SDGs.”
Championing Renewable Energy Transition
In our relentless pursuit of a renewable energy future, we are poised to achieve a significant milestone. By 2025, Vodafone Egypt aspires to power all its operations with renewable electricity. Through an agreement with the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), our journey towards renewable power sourcing from the national electricity grid is underway. By FY2024 , we aspire to attain a 60% renewable energy-powered status as we work to hit an ambitious target of 100% by FY2025 .
In the pursuit of our renewable energy ambitions, we have already made significant strides. Adding 30 new solar sites in FY2023, we have elevated the total number of network sites powered by renewables to 150, which includes our solar-powered headquarters and data centre. Our HQ Solar PV 181 KW Solar Station currently generates 302,000 kWh annual green energy production. Vodafone Egypt’s overall use of renewable energy sources grew by 9% in 2023, reaching 4.5 million kWh. This journey is underpinned by an unswerving commitment to operate all metered sites on 100% renewable energy by 2025 .
Promoting E-Waste Recycling with e-TADWEER
In a strategic collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment through the nation-wide, presidential green initiative Live Green, the UNDP, and the Federation of Egyptian Industries, we launched the e-TADWEER app. Designed as a force across the electronics value chain, e-TADWEER is a mobile application that allows users to recycle their electronic waste and receive redeemable vouchers. Users can create an account on the app, submit their old device details, choose a drop-off point, and receive redeemable vouchers.
e-TADWEER also provides information and tips on how to recycle and reuse electronic devices. We supported the initiative by providing expert digital consultancy in the application development, promoting the application to over 7,000 monthly customer requests , promoting the campaign on social media, raising awareness about the necessity of safe disposal of their electronic waste using e-TADWEER.
We managed to contribute 10 tons of electronic waste and, motivating others to follow suit, we introduced attractive incentives such as discounts on mobile devices and accessories. Additionally, we established convenient collection points at our branches to facilitate the recycling of unwanted electronic gadgets.
Water Usage Efficiency through IoT
While the Telecoms sector is not a water-intensive industry, we are committed to prudent water usage. Leveraging our digital solutions and IoT capabilities, we have partnered with technology providers like FIDO Tech , a global technology innovation company using deep-learning neural networks to track water leaks, to manage water leakages in transformative ways.
We launched a pilot that was processed through a sample of 4 km water network , managing to implement a water leakage detector solution in Sharm El-Sheikh ahead of COP27. The detector, through artificial intelligence, was able to downsize the amount of water waste by a minimum of 30% during this stage . We then analysed the data through IoT and AI to define the leakage size and location, allowing fast intervention to prevent water waste or further damage.
During COP27 and following the successful pilot, Vodafone Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FIDO Tech to implement and scale IoT and AI-driven water leakage detection solutions expanding on the Sharm El-Sheikh pilot. To read more about this partnership during COP27.