Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Zimbabwe’s postal and courier services sector is facing a structural decline as shifting consumer behaviour, rising costs, and digital disruption continue to erode traditional mail volumes.
According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) fourth-quarter 2025 sector performance report, postal and courier volumes fell sharply by 19.09 percent to 291,106 items, down from 359,794 items in the previous quarter.
Despite the overall contraction, the POTRAZ report highlighted a spike in inbound letters, which surged by 372.70 percent to 32,503 during the quarter from 6,876 in the previous quarter.
POTRAZ said this suggests that while domestic letter usage is fading, international correspondence—possibly linked to diaspora activity—still plays a role in sustaining parts of the segment.
Domestic postal letters recorded the steepest fall, plunging 47.23 percent during the quarter, while international outgoing letters declined by 53.64 percent.
Only a handful of categories showed growth; international incoming letters rose sharply by 372.7 percent, while international incoming courier volumes increased by 18.35 percent.
The report suggested the broader communications landscape is changing rapidly, with consumers relying more heavily on digital platforms, mobile data, and online messaging services.
The decline comes as Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector continues to expand aggressively, particularly in mobile internet and broadband services.
“The 2026 outlook for Zimbabwe’s postal and telecommunications sector is defined by a rapid transition toward a data-centric ecosystem, spearheaded by the accelerated deployment of 4G, 5G and fibre infrastructure,” POTRAZ said.
“The expansion will potentially drive a surge in both mobile and fixed internet traffic in the year ahead.”
Mobile internet traffic rose 11.27 percent during the quarter, while fixed internet traffic climbed 8.86 percent, reflecting growing demand for streaming, online communication, and digital services.
On the infrastructure side, the report shows that the number of operational postal outlets remained unchanged at 281. However, courier outlets declined from 210 to 204 after global logistics firm DHL shut down six outlets during the period.
The contraction pushed service density higher, with each outlet now serving 32,320 people, up from 31,925 previously.
For the period under review, sector revenue declined by 2.3 percent to ZiG185.51 million from ZiG189.89 million, while operating costs rose by 6.8 percent to ZiG217 million.
More notably, capital expenditure surged by 149.3 percent to US$1.9 million from US$764,631, suggesting that operators are investing heavily in technology upgrades and infrastructure modernisation to remain competitive.
