Vodacom report discusses decarbonising Africa's digital economy

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Energy & Sustainability; 13 April 2026; 2267 views

Despite regular news stories in these pages highlighting the use of renewable energy in telecoms, reliance on diesel still appears to be widespread – which may explain why pan-African operator Vodacom Group has just released a new white paper entitled Decarbonising Africa’s ICT Sector.

The report, says Vodacom, contributes insights into one of Africa’s fastest‑growing sectors, where expanding digital and network infrastructure brings growing energy demands and is navigating the complexities of decarbonisation while continuing to support economic and social development.

As Vodacom says, many sectors – from telecommunications and healthcare to mining, logistics and manufacturing – still depend on carbon-intensive, costly diesel generators due to weak grid infrastructure and unreliable electricity supply.

The research highlights that while Africa remains highly vulnerable to climate change, it faces critical energy challenges that hamper decarbonisation efforts. Weak grid infrastructure, financial constraints within utilities, complex regulatory environments, and unreliable electricity supply continue to slow the adoption of renewable energy across the continent. This has led many sectors, including telecommunications, to rely heavily on carbon-intensive diesel generators to power operations.

To address these barriers, the white paper outlines several practical solutions that could help accelerate decarbonisation across the ICT sector. These include energy sector reforms that enable greater private sector participation, renewable energy procurement mechanisms such as power purchase agreements (PPAs), and the expansion of decentralised energy solutions, including mini-grids, to power remote mobile network base stations.

Since FY2020, Vodacom says it has reduced scope 1 and 2 market‑based greenhouse gas emissions by 77%, an achievement driven primarily by energy efficiency improvements and renewable electricity procurement.

While mobile network operators are major energy consumers, the report emphasises that they are also critical enablers of Africa’s digital and economic development – making their role in the low-carbon transition both complex and essential.

Developed with technical support from climate consultancy the Carbon Trust, the research draws on sector analysis, case studies and interviews with stakeholders across the ICT and energy value chains, including utilities, technology providers, financial institutions and regulators.

The report can be accessed via the Vodacom website.