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business 1 min readSeptember 2, 2026

Who Owns Safaricom?

Short answer: Vodacom, now the 55% majority owner. The Kenyan government has cut its stake to 20%, selling 15% to Vodacom for ~$2.1bn.

Safaricom — Kenya's dominant telecom and the parent of M-Pesa — is majority-owned by Vodacom. After Vodacom moved to a 55% controlling stake by buying an additional 15% from the Government of Kenya for about US$2.1 billion (Ksh204 billion) 1, the ownership now runs Vodacom ~55%, the Government of Kenya ~20% (down from 35%), and public investors ~25% 2.

Vodacom is itself majority-owned by the UK's Vodafone — so control of Kenya's most valuable company, and of the M-Pesa rail that moves money for tens of millions, now sits with a South African operator ultimately answering to London 2.

The Kenyan state retains an important role (including a hand in appointing the chairman 2), which is why we'd score this mixed rather than a clean export: value stays partly public and on the continent, but majority control has moved. Track deals like it in Who's Buying Africa.

By the NumbersOwnership at a glance
55%[2]
Vodacom's controlling stake in Safaricom (Vodacom is majority Vodafone-owned)
20% / 25%[2]
Government of Kenya (down from 35%) and public free float
~$2.1bn[1]
What Vodacom paid Kenya for the 15% that took it to majority

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References

  1. 1.allAfrica Vodacom Snaps Up 20 Percent More of Safaricom in $2.1bn DealVodacom's move to 55% control by buying the Kenyan government's 15% stake for ~US$2.1bn (Ksh204bn).
  2. 2.African Markets Vodacom moves to majority control of Safaricom with new 20% stake purchasePost-deal ownership: Vodacom ~55%, Government of Kenya ~20%, free float ~25%; Vodacom's board and chairman-appointment dynamics.

In the Index

#whoowns#safaricom#vodacom#vodafone#kenya#m-pesa#valuecapture
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