Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Reports Remarkable Growth in Mobile Internet and Data Services
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has experienced a significant surge in mobile internet and data traffic during the first quarter of 2025, achieving a remarkable 20.68% increase. The company managed to handle more than 92.2 billion megabytes (MB) of data, a substantial rise from the 76.4 billion MB recorded in the preceding quarter. This impressive growth is highlighted in the recent industry report issued by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz).
Market Share Dynamics
The report revealed that Econet has strengthened its position in the internet and data market, increasing its share by 2.25 percentage points to an impressive 80.89%. In contrast, its competitors NetOne and Telecel exhibited declines in market share, with NetOne decreasing by 2.16 percentage points to 18.91%, and Telecel dropping by 0.09 percentage points to a mere 0.20%.
The overall mobile internet and data traffic in the sector rose by 17.31%, escalating from 97.19 Petabytes (PB) in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 114.02 PB in the current quarter. The report attributes this spike in demand primarily to the proliferation of smartphones and the growing popularity of social media platforms.
Voice Traffic Trends
In addition to data traffic, Econet also reported a 4.52% increase in voice traffic, which climbed from 3.53 billion minutes in Q4 2024 to 3.69 billion minutes in Q1 2025. This growth enabled Econet to maintain a dominant voice market share of 87.89%. Meanwhile, NetOne achieved a notable 12.26% increase in voice traffic, rising from 452 million to over 507 million minutes, but it still trailed behind Econet. Telecel, on the other hand, faced challenges as it recorded declines in both data and voice traffic, including an 11.69% drop in subscribers and an 18.26% fall in data usage.
Subscriber Growth
Econet reinforced its industry leadership by increasing its active mobile subscriber base by 2.17%, from 11.33 million to 11.58 million. This growth resulted in a slight increase in subscriber market share, moving from 72.29% to 72.85%. In contrast, both NetOne and Telecel experienced decreases in their subscriber market shares, losing 0.25 and 0.31 percentage points, respectively.
The overall sector saw a 1.38% increase in active mobile subscriptions, rising from 15,677,094 in the previous quarter to 15,893,626 in the latest report. However, despite these gains in subscriber numbers, the mobile penetration rate fell by 0.87 percentage points, dropping from 102.26% to 101.39%. This decline is attributed to an increase in the estimated population figures.
Investment in Infrastructure
Although capital expenditure by mobile network operators experienced a downturn during the quarter due to seasonal factors, Potraz reported a promising 53.33% increase in the deployment of 5G base stations. Econet leads the market across all network technologies, including 2G, 3G, LTE, and 5G, demonstrating its commitment to infrastructure development.
In a significant shift within the industry, data services have now surpassed voice services as the leading contributor to mobile operator revenue, accounting for 50.28% of total income. Econet’s ongoing investments in faster and more reliable internet infrastructure appear to be yielding positive results, especially as consumer preferences shift increasingly towards digital platforms.
Future Outlook
Despite facing broader economic challenges, such as rising operational costs and a 4.20% decline in total revenue, the industry regulator remains optimistic about the future of the sector. The deployment of 5G technology and the adoption of satellite services, such as Starlink, are positioning Zimbabwe for a deeper digital transformation. Potraz emphasizes that the sector is on a trajectory of sustained innovation, backed by robust infrastructure expansion and an increasing demand for digital services.
The developments in the mobile telecommunications sector in Zimbabwe underline a transformative phase as companies adapt to changing consumer needs and technological advancements, paving the way for a more digitally connected future.
