Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has reported a significant 44 percent year-on-year increase in voice call volumes for the quarter ended 31 May 2025, challenging telecommunications industry assumptions about the decline of traditional services.
This substantial growth occurred alongside a more-than-doubling of data traffic, according to the company’s quarterly trading update released this week.
The 44 percent surge in voice volumes presents a counter-narrative to the sector’s predominant focus on data-driven futures.
Econet’s trading statement indicated the increase reflects sustained demand for connectivity occurring parallel to the expansion of its digital ecosystem.
While the company explicitly acknowledged data’s strategic importance in the telecommunications industry’s future, this performance demonstrates voice telephone’s enduring relevance within Zimbabwe’s evolving market context.
The growth underscores a landscape where fundamental connectivity services continue to generate substantial demand alongside advanced digital offerings.
The telecommunications group simultaneously announced a major overhaul of its Kancane Kancane smartphone financing programme, eliminating deposit requirements and extending maximum repayment terms to 24 months to address persistent affordability barriers.
Citing 2024 data from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), indicating smartphone penetration remained at just 55 percent, Econet implemented sweeping changes to its device financing initiative.
The company has extended repayment terms from the previous maximum of three months to flexible options spanning six, twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four months. Crucially, the requirement for an initial deposit has been completely eliminated, substantially reducing the entry barrier.
We’re giving customers the chance to step into the digital world without high upfront costs, the company stated, positioning the initiative as critical for national digital inclusion.
This strategic expansion coincides with the increasing migration of essential services like mobile banking, e-learning platforms, online shopping, telehealth, and remote work to digital channels.
Supporting its service delivery, Econet continued its network infrastructure rollout during the quarter.
The company deployed ten lightweight, cost-effective base stations specifically targeting underserved rural communities, commissioned twenty new sites, and expanded its 5G footprint by an additional one hundred locations across the country.
Peter Tanyanyiwa