Telecommunication giant, Vodacom Lesotho, has launched a year of celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary.
Vodacom Lesotho’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohale Ralebitso, said the milestone caps three decades of investment in connectivity, digital inclusion and socio-economic progress across the country.
“For 30 years, we have walked alongside Basotho, guided by trust, service and a promise: connecting for a better future,” Ralebitso said on Wednesday.
He noted that from the first mobile signal in 1996 to today’s 4G/LTE and 5G era, every investment has focused on bringing Basotho closer and expanding what is possible.
During this period, the company has extended coverage across valleys and mountainous communities so that the connection does not end where the road ends.
As digital services such as mobile money continue to grow, security and reliability remain central, Ralebitso indicated.
“Security, privacy and service integrity are non-negotiable,” he added.
Vodacom Lesotho Head of the Customer Business Unit, Grace Chambua, said affordability and customer value had shaped the company’s three-decade journey.
“We have supported customers when it matters most, from airtime advance to M-Pesa and Connect, while strengthening trust through clearer information, protection and inclusion,” Chambya noted.
She explained that Vodacom Lesotho’s role went beyond technology, entailing connecting the nation, less distance, less waiting and more opportunity, “so that distance does not decide destiny”.
On his part, Head of the Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, Tšepo Ntaopane, said the company’s legacy was measured by human impact as well as infrastructure.
For three decades, their social investment has expanded opportunity, from classrooms and dignity initiatives to bursaries and Code Like a Girl, which has introduced more than 4,000 girls to coding.
The company had also strengthened access to healthcare through m-mama emergency referral initiative and maternity-ward improvements.
“We remain committed to working with Basotho so that distance no longer determines what is possible,” Ntaopane said.
Vodacom Group Chief Executive Officer, Shameel Joosub, shared a message of solidarity, reaffirming Lesotho’s strategic importance to the organisation’s continental growth strategy.
“Lesotho remains a cornerstone of our African footprint. Our journey over the past three decades shows that sustained investment in digital infrastructure is among the most powerful catalysts for social and economic progress.
“Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding financial and digital inclusion and supporting national digitisation, so we can continue to unlock opportunity for all,” Joosub said.
