Vodafone Egypt investment plan rises past EGP 25 billion for 5G and data centres

In brief: Under the updated Vodafone Egypt investment plan for the 2026/2027 financial year, the telecommunications operator raised its annual capital commitment past EGP 25 billion. The funds support more than 5,300 fifth-generation sites, doubled spectrum capacity, rural coverage stations, and new data centre infrastructure projects across Egypt.

Egypt's largest telecommunications company announced its capital figures alongside its financial results on 15 November 2026, Youm7 reported. Between April and September 2026, Vodafone Egypt injected EGP 15 billion into domestic infrastructure and digital transformation projects under an investment plan exceeding EGP 25 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year, Al Mal reported. Statements carried by Al-Masry Al-Youm said the company is reinvesting its first-half growth into infrastructure and network capacity.

Mobile network and rural coverage upgrades

First-half capital expenditure focused on building the widest fifth-generation (5G) footprint in Egypt through the construction of more than 5,300 5G sites. The operator also upgraded network sites to run on smart systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI). In rural districts, the company expanded its network to 4,900 coverage stations serving village residents across the country. To handle rising data traffic, it doubled its allocated spectrum bands, increasing network capacity, data transfer speeds, and connection stability.

Following those upgrades, independent testing firm umlaut awarded the operator its Best in Test certification and ranked it first across all mobile network evaluation categories. The expansion responds to growing reliance on mobile phones for work, education, electronic payments, and entertainment among a customer base exceeding 57 million subscribers. Vodafone Egypt said in a statement reported by Al Mal that the spending aims to "keep pace with growth in the use of internet and data services, and expand financial technology applications and digital solutions offered to individuals and businesses". In remarks carried by Youm7, the company said its priority is "maximising societal return and expanding network capacity to meet the needs and expectations of its customer base".

Data centres, sovereign AI and cybersecurity

Vodafone Business partnered with Elsewedy Electric and Cassava Technologies to establish Africa Data Centres Egypt. The joint venture is launching the largest data centre in Egypt built to international standards to support the country's digital economy. Vodafone Business is also working through a strategic partnership with Cassava Technologies to develop infrastructure for sovereign AI in Egypt. That initiative includes launching the first data centre of its kind in the country to run advanced AI applications locally. These partnerships "strengthen Egypt's role as a regional platform for data and technology, rather than a market for it alone", the operator said in a statement published by Al-Masry Al-Youm.

To protect data across its expanding digital infrastructure, the operator secured ISO/IEC 27001 certification for information security management systems. The accreditation covers the company's entire cybersecurity framework, extending from its network to its Vodafone Cash services.

Financial inclusion and public health digitisation

In digital financial services, active users on the Vodafone Cash electronic wallet platform surpassed 16.5 million. Customers use the platform to manage daily payments and money transfers, allowing the service to retain the largest share of Egypt's electronic wallet market. In the public healthcare sector, the company's digital solutions contributed to automating more than 630 health units distributed across 10 governorates. Those digitised facilities deliver healthcare services to about 14.5 million citizens enrolled under Egypt's Universal Health Insurance system.

What happens next

To complete its commitment for the current financial year, the operator is preparing to inject an additional EGP 10 billion before the end of March 2027. That second-half outlay will lift its 28-year cumulative investment in Egypt's telecommunications and information technology (IT) sector past EGP 150 billion. Cumulative spending across the company's history in Egypt had already passed EGP 125 billion by March 2026. For the Africa Data Centres Egypt rollout, the first phase is projected to attract about USD 200 million in foreign direct investment. Total targeted investment in the data centre will reach USD 1 billion upon completion of its full operational capacity.

Read more: Digital Egypt strategy targets 200,000 new jobs and $12 billion in exports by 2030 · Google acquires Crusoe’s Wyoming data centre site for $17 billion campus · Oracle opens new data centres in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as AI demand grows

Sources: Youm7, Al Mal, Al-Masry Al-Youm

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