Zimbabwe Mobile Telecoms Sector Grows as Data Usage Surges in Q4 2025

Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunications sector recorded steady growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by rising data consumption, increased voice traffic, and continued infrastructure investment, according to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). Active mobile subscriptions rose by 2.11% to 16.78 million, up from 16.43 million in the previous quarter, pushing mobile penetration to 107.04%. Analysts say the figure reflects widespread access to SIM cards rather than unique users, a common trend in developing telecom markets.

Market leader Econet Wireless Zimbabwe strengthened its dominance, growing its subscriber base by 2.56% to over 12.37 million users. NetOne recorded modest growth of 0.95%, while Telecel Zimbabwe continued its decline, shedding 0.58% of its subscribers. Voice traffic registered one of the strongest gains, rising 9.04% to 5.07 billion minutes. Econet drove much of this growth with an 11.09% increase, while NetOne and Telecel experienced declines. POTRAZ attributed the surge to competitive voice bundles stimulating both on-net and inter-network calls.

“The robust increase in total mobile traffic is primarily driven by significant growth in on-net and interconnect traffic,” the regulator said.

Inbound roaming traffic also rose during the quarter, reflecting increased activity by foreign visitors during the festive season.

However, SMS usage continued its long-term decline, dropping 3.49% to 2.77 billion messages, largely due to reduced on-net messaging. Industry experts link this to the growing dominance of internet-based messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Mobile internet usage recorded the most significant growth, with total data traffic surging 11.27% to 160.33 petabytes. The increase underscores a structural shift toward data-driven consumption, with high-bandwidth platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix driving demand.

Econet maintained the largest share of data traffic, although NetOne posted the fastest growth at 18.5%, reflecting gains in network expansion. Telecel, by contrast, recorded a sharp decline of over 20% in data usage, highlighting ongoing operational challenges. Financially, mobile network operators reported a 6.33% increase in revenue to ZWG 7.74 billion. However, operating costs rose faster, climbing 11.52%, pushing the sector’s cost-to-income ratio close to 60%.

“This suggests growing pressure on profitability despite rising demand,” said a Harare-based telecommunications analyst. “Operators are investing heavily, but returns are being squeezed by inflation, currency volatility and infrastructure costs.”

Capital expenditure more than doubled to ZWG 1.08 billion during the quarter, signalling aggressive investment in network upgrades. A total of 47 new 5G base stations were deployed, bringing the national total to 366. Econet continued to lead infrastructure rollout, particularly in urban centres, while NetOne expanded coverage in underserved and rural areas. Telecel’s limited progress reflects financial and operational constraints, analysts say.

Nationwide, approximately 18.9% of Zimbabwe’s population now has access to 5G services, mainly in urban areas, while rural 3G coverage reached 73.7%, highlighting ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide. Employment in the mobile telecommunications sector stood at 2,257 workers during the quarter.

In the fixed telephony segment, subscriptions rose marginally by 0.92% to 304,383 lines, while fixed VoIP services increased by 3.15%, indicating a gradual shift toward internet-based communication. Overall, the latest POTRAZ figures point to a telecommunications sector increasingly driven by mobile data usage, with operators investing in next-generation technologies to meet evolving consumer demand and digital transformation trends in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe telecom sector growth