Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector registered firm growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in data usage and mobile activity as the country accelerates its transition to a digital economy.
According to the latest sector performance report by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), active mobile subscriptions rose by 2,13 percent to 16,77 million, pushing the mobile penetration rate to 107,04 percent.
Mobile voice traffic also recorded strong growth, increasing by 9,04 percent to 5,07 billion minutes during the quarter under review, largely driven by uptake of bundled services and increased on-net calls.
POTRAZ said the growth was underpinned by significant growth in on-net and interconnect traffic which continue to anchor national voice performance.
In contrast, SMS usage continued on a downward trend, declining by 3,49 percent to 2,77 billion messages, as consumers migrate to internet-based messaging platforms.
The report highlights data consumption as the dominant growth driver, with mobile internet traffic rising by 11,27 percent to 160,33 petabytes, while fixed internet traffic grew by 8,86 percent to 479,94 petabytes.
“This robust growth in Internet/data traffic continues to indicate a powerful and potentially accelerated shift towards more data-intensive consumption habits,” said POTRAZ.
Internet penetration increased to 84,55 percent, while broadband penetration rose to 82,63 percent, reflecting improved access to digital services across the country.
On the infrastructure side, operators intensified network expansion efforts adding 47 new 5G base stations to bring the total to 366 alongside additional LTE and 3G deployments.
POTRAZ said the expansion of next-generation infrastructure will go a long way in enhancing connectivity, quality of service and network speeds.
Mobile network operators recorded a 6,33 percent increase in revenue to ZWG 7,74 billion during the period, although operating costs rose by 11,52 percent reflecting rising cost pressures in the sector.
Capital expenditure surged by 112 percent as firms ramped up investment in infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the postal and courier segment continued to weaken with volumes declining by 19,09 percent to 291 106 items as digital alternatives increasingly replace traditional mail services.
Postal and courier revenue fell by 2,3 percent, while operating costs increased, pushing the cost-to-income ratio to 117,5 percent.
Looking ahead, POTRAZ said the sector’s growth trajectory will be anchored on data services and infrastructure development.
“The outlook for 2026 is defined by a rapid transition toward a data-centric ecosystem,” the authority said, adding that continued investment in 4G, 5G and fibre networks was critical to sustaining momentum.
