Zimbabwe - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Zimbabwe Government Planning Merger of TelOne and NetOne Pre-Sale

The Zimbabwe - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses report includes all relevant research data and analysis. Covering trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, internet, broadband, infrastructure and regulation.

Zimbabwe's MNOs increase tariffs for voice and data services to address pressure on revenue

The Zimbabwean government has for some years addressed the country's economic difficulties by finding ways to tax telecom services. Telcos have also been under economic pressure, facing stresses on revenue and on their ability to invest in infrastructure and network upgrades. This has encouraged the telcos to increase tariffs, supported by the regulator.

During 2019 and 2020, the regulator imposed three tariff hikes in succession as it strove to alleviate the financial burden suffered by the MNOs which must pay for international bandwidth and network equipment in foreign currency. In April 2019 tariffs for mobile voice calls were increased by 23%, while in the following November they were increased by 95%. A third hike in March 2020 saw the tariffs increased by 55%. These hikes were responses to the deterioration of the economy.

In early 2022, telcos increased tariffs again, by up to 20%, as they sought to adjust to pressure on revenue.

There are numerous taxes on telecom services, which add to the burden on telcos and end-users. A 15% VAT has applied to mobile airtime since 2009, while in 2015 a 5% excise duty on airtime sales was imposed, as well as a 25% tax on handsets and a five cents levy per transaction on mobile money transfers.

In November 2021, telcos called on the government to reduce the high tax burdens placed on them. Taxes at the time included a 5% health levy, the 15% VAT, a 25% corporate tax, a 3% universal service fee, and a 2% tax on m-money transfers (the Intermediated Money Transfer Tax).

Despite these appeals, the government in March 2022 introduced a 10% excise duty on ISPs. There is also the prospect of a new tax on companies involved in e-commerce, digital advertising, content, cloud computing, e-commerce, and a range of online services such as gambling and gaming. Within this catchment are the major online players such as Google, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as streaming providers such as Netflix.

In addition to taxes, there is a $50 levy on imported smartphones. This levy was imposed in November 2021 after the government realised that the existing 25% duty on mobile handset imports was easily evaded.

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison
1. Market characteristics
2. Market Leaders
3. Market Challengers
4. Market Emergents
5. TMI vs GDP
6. Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
7. Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
1. Economic considerations and responses
2. Subscribers
3. Infrastructure
Telecommunications market
1. Historical overview
2. Market analysis
Regulatory environment
1. Regulatory authority
2. Fixed-line developments
3. Mobile market developments
Mobile market
1. Market analysis
2. Mobile statistics
3. Mobile infrastructure
4. Mobile data
5. Mobile broadband
6. Major mobile operators
7. Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
1. Introduction and statistical overview
2. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Networks
3. Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
4. Other fixed broadband services
Digital Economy
1. E-commerce
2. E-learning
3. E-health
Fixed network operators
1. TelOne
2. TeleAccess Zimbabwe
3. Afritell
Telecommunications infrastructure
1. Overview of the national telecom network
2. Smart grid infrastructure
3. International infrastructure
Appendix Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Zimbabwe 2021 (e)
Table 2 Change in telecom revenue by services ($ million) 2012 2018
Table 3 Change in telecom revenue by services inflated (ZW$ million) 2019 2021
Table 4 Development of mobile voice traffic 2012 2021
Table 5 Development of mobile market financial data ($ million) 2012 2018
Table 6 Mobile market financial data inflated (ZW$ million) 2019 2021
Table 7 Growth in the number of base stations in service by technology 2013 2021
Table 8 Change in the market share of GSM base stations by operator 2015 2021
Table 9 Change in the market share of 3G base stations by operator 2015 2021
Table 10 Change in the market share of LTE base stations by operator 2015 2021
Table 11 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 12 Change in the number of active mobile subscriptions by operator (million) 2012 2021
Table 13 Change in the market share of active mobile subscriptions by operator 2012 2021
Table 14 Growth in mobile data traffic 2012 2021
Table 15 Change in the market share of mobile data traffic by operator 2015 2021
Table 16 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 19 Growth in Econet Wireless's data revenue 2012 2019
Table 20 Growth in Econet Wireless's data revenue inflated (ZW$) 2020 2022
Table 21 Growth in the number of Econet Wireless's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 22 Decline in the number of NetOne's active mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 23 Change in the number of Telecel's active mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 24 Increase in the number of Econet Wireless's registered EcoCash subscribers 2012 2019
Table 25 Econet Wireless's active EcoCash subscribers (regulator data) 2015 2020
Table 26 Development of Econet Wireless's EcoCash revenue 2013 2017
Table 27 Econet Wireless EcoCash transactions 2013 2018
Table 28 Increase in the number of Econet Wireless's EcoCash agents 2013 2018
Table 29 Market share of active m-money subscribers by operator 2015 2020
Table 30 Mobile money market subscribers and agents 2013 2020
Table 31 Change in the value of the m-money market ($ million) 2016 2018
Table 32 Change in the value of the m-money market inflated (ZW$ million) 2019 2020
Table 33 Increase in internet access revenue and investment ($ million) 2012 2018
Table 34 Increase in internet access revenue and investment inflated (ZW$ million) 2019 2021
Table 35 Growth in the number of internet subscribers and penetration 2012 2021
Table 36 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 37 Growth in the number of DSL subscribers 2012 2021
Table 38 Growth in the number of Ecoweb's data subscribers 2012 2019
Table 39 Ecoweb broadband revenue 2013 2019
Table 40 Ecoweb broadband revenue inflated 2020 2022
Table 41 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2013 2021
Table 42 Decline in the number of WiMAX internet subscribers 2013 2021
Table 43 Satellite internet subscribers 2013 2021
Table 44 TelOne financial data ($ million) 2012 2018
Table 45 TelOne financial data (ZW$ million) 2019 2020
Table 46 TelOne revenue by type ($ million) 2014 2018
Table 47 TelOne revenue by type (ZW$ million) 2019 2020
Table 48 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Table 49 Change in fixed-line telephony revenue 2013 2018
Table 50 Change in fixed-line telephony revenue inflated 2019 2021
Table 51 Fixed-line voice traffic 2012 2021
Table 52 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2021
Table 53 International bandwidth by operator (Mb/s) 2015 2021
Table 54 Historic - Mobile subscriptions and penetration rate in Zimbabwe 1999 2011
Table 55 Historic - Active mobile subscriptions 2000 2011
Table 56 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in Zimbabwe 1999 2011
Table 57 Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2001 2011
Table 58 Historic - International bandwidth 2002 2011
Table 59 Historic LTE mobile internet subscribers 2014 2017
Table 60 Historic National backbone fibre length 2013 2017

List of Charts

Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders
Chart 2 Africa Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
Chart 4 Africa Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
Chart 6 Africa Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 Africa Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 Africa Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 Change in telecom revenue by services 2012 2018
Chart 11 Change in telecom revenue by services inflated 2019 2021
Chart 12 Development of mobile voice traffic 2012 2021
Chart 13 Development of mobile market financial data 2012 2018
Chart 14 Mobile market financial data inflated 2019 2021
Chart 15 Growth in the number of base stations in service by technology 2013 2021
Chart 16 Change in the market share of GSM base stations by operator 2015 2021
Chart 17 Market share of 3G base stations by operator 2015 2021
Chart 18 Change in the market share of LTE base stations by operator 2015 2021
Chart 19 Change in the number of mobile subscriptions and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 20 Change in the number of active mobile subscriptions by operator 2012 2021
Chart 21 Change in the market share of active mobile subscriptions by operator 2012 2021
Chart 22 Growth in mobile data traffic 2012 2021
Chart 23 Change in the market share of mobile data traffic by operator 2015 2021
Chart 24 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 25 Development of Econet Wireless's financial data 2012 2019
Chart 26 Development of Econet Wireless's financial data inflated 2020 2022
Chart 27 Growth in Econet Wireless's data revenue 2012 2019
Chart 28 Growth in Econet Wireless's data revenue inflated (ZW$) 2020 2022
Chart 29 Growth in the number of Econet Wireless's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 30 Decline in the number of NetOne's active mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 31 Decline in the number of Telecel's active mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 32 Increase in the number of Econet Wireless's registered EcoCash subscribers 2012 2019
Chart 33 Market share of active m-money subscribers by operator 2015 2020
Chart 34 Change in the value of the m-money market 2016 2018
Chart 35 Increase in internet access revenue and investment 2012 2018
Chart 36 Increase in internet access revenue and investment inflated 2019 2021
Chart 37 Growth in the number of internet subscribers and penetration 2012 2021
Chart 38 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 39 Growth in the number of DSL subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 40 Ecoweb broadband revenue 2013 2019
Chart 41 Ecoweb broadband revenue inflated 2020 2022
Chart 42 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2013 2021
Chart 43 TelOne financial data ($) 2012 2018
Chart 44 TelOne revenue by type ($ million) 2014 2018
Chart 45 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Chart 46 Change in fixed-line telephony revenue 2013 2018
Chart 47 Change in fixed-line telephony revenue inflated 2019 2021
Chart 48 Fixed-line voice traffic 2012 2021
Chart 49 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2021
Chart 50 International bandwidth by operator 2015 2021

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 Africa Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 Africa Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 Africa Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 Map of Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe's MNOs increase tariffs for voice and data services to address pressure on revenue

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