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Q
The telecoms sector, both globally and locally is
being buffeted from all angles, including customers
(#datamustfall), policy proposals (WOAN) and technology
developments that allow for increased competition. How
does Vodacom ensure success in this perfect storm?
A
We have a long history of innovation in Vodacom, which has
created the space for us to consistently adapt and drive
differentiation to ensure market leadership. The ability for us to
keep abreast of the ever-changing landscape, coupled with the
capability to execute on our plans designed to deal with the changes,
gives us the edge we seek to maintain. We have made it clear that our
purpose is to ensure we empower the digital lives of our customers.
This purpose encapsulates our vision of being a leading digital company
that empowers a connected society.
The successful execution of this vision will allow for Vodacom to continue
to lead in technology while developing propositions and services that
ensure continued relevance to our customers. This will be underpinned by
a deep understanding of our customers, implementing class-leading
technology on our network, while developing and attracting new skills
required to drive Vodacom forward. Central to our strategy will be our
customer experience, where we constantly seek to reduce friction and
exceed expectations.
Our pricing transformation programme will continue, as we seek to ensure
our services are affordable to our customers. We have made significant
progress on reducing the price of voice and data to our customers over the
last year, and will continue to do so.
The proposed White Paper, which sets out the intention of a Wireless Open
Access Network (WOAN), will of course have wide-ranging implications
for the telecommunications industry in South Africa. We are working
closely with all industry stakeholders to find a workable solution that will
ensure that the telecommunications sector can continue to be the
catalyst for economic transformation and development in the country.
Q
What is the long-term strategic view for Vodacom?
A
The long-term future is an exciting one for Vodacom. We see our role as empowering a connected society and we aim to play
a leading role in providing access and services in a more connected world. We are, therefore, taking a strong position in some
very exciting developments, including fibre, digital services and financial services. We are also moving into a world where the
Internet of Things becomes an intrinsic part of the lives of our customers, both consumers and enterprise, and we wish to establish
ourselves as a leader in this space. We are particularly excited about the possibilities that this new connected world creates for our customers
and indeed society, where Vodacom has a unique opportunity to play a role in revolutionising sectors such as education, health, security
and agriculture. While excellence at an infrastructure layer is merely a means to an end, we intend to continue our significant investment in
intelligent networks and systems. At the same time, we will focus increasingly on the services layer so that the benefits of these investments
can be felt by both our consumer and enterprise customers.
Q
How does your new vision and strategy
affect your business model across all your
markets over the short- and medium-term?
A
While we aim to retain our position as the leading
telecommunications operator in the markets we
operate in, there are some material elements of
our business model that will require change. We
are aggressively growing beyond traditional telco revenues
to focus on growing digital and ICT products and services in
both the consumer and enterprise segments.
Our drive to become a leading digital company will require
of us to accelerate the use of partnerships to help design,
create and deliver compelling products and offerings to our
customers. Another enabler is further development of open
technologies, allowing for rapid integration into our systems,
particularly for partners and other third parties that we need
to collaborate with. Our investment in infrastructure and
enabling systems continues, as this will allow us to increase
our ability to be agile and flexible.
From a customer perspective, our segmented approach will
evolve from traditional segmentation and Customer Value
Management, to a more comprehensive big data led
approach that will allow us to be much more granular in
understanding customers and using deep insights to design
and deliver propositions that speak to individual customer
behaviours and needs. Our CARE programme supports this
by driving consistent excellence in customer experience
across all touch-points.
Our strategy applies to all International markets in the
Vodacom Group, albeit with some customisation to account
for variations across our markets.
Our business
Operating context
Delivering on our strategy
Our governance structure
Administration
with Nadya Bhettay
Chief Officer: Strategy and New Business
Q
&
A
Looking beyond 2020
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