LONDON (Reuters) - Vodafone said it would add nearly 7,000 software engineers to its workforce by 2025 to develop more of its own digital services across Europe and Africa.

The British company said the investment would enable it to build products and services faster and cheaper in technologies including Internet of Things, smart networks and cyber security.

Chief Technology Officer Johan Wibergh said Vodafone was focusing on digital services to help drive revenue growth in a challenging environment for core connectivity.

He said the company was building a “global software brand” to provide superfast connectivity and digital products for its customers.

The roles, which will increase Vodafone’s total number of software engineers to around 16,000, will be a combination of retraining existing staff, bringing skills in-house and recruiting around 700 new people.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate Holton)