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Source: Zimbabwe hits record 96% mobile access but high costs stifle rural internet growth – herald

Nelson Gahadza

Senior Business Reporter

ZIMBABWE has recorded significant milestones in digital connectivity, with mobile phone ownership, internet access and network coverage breaking records, despite the high cost of devices and internet services, which continues to hinder wider adoption, particularly in rural areas.

The findings are contained in the 2025 ICT Access by Households and Use by Individuals Survey, jointly conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).

The survey, the fourth of its kind after similar assessments in 2010, 2014 and 2020, provides a key benchmark for measuring progress under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and for tracking Zimbabwe’s performance on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) ICT indicators.

According to the report, 96.4 percent of households now have access to a mobile cellular phone, with ownership exceeding 90 percent across all provinces.

Smartphone penetration has also improved significantly, with 75.1 percent of households owning smartphones, although a sharp urban-rural divide remains, with ownership standing at 87.4 percent in urban areas compared to 65.9 percent in rural communities.

Internet connectivity has also expanded, with 75.5 percent of households reporting internet access at home, while 92.5 percent of households now have mobile network coverage on their premises.

The survey found that mobile broadband via handsets remains the dominant means of accessing the internet, accounting for 92.2 percent of household connections.

Despite these gains, digital inclusion remains constrained by affordability challenges.

According to the report, more than half of households without internet access cited the high cost of devices as the biggest barrier, while 36.4 percent said internet services were too expensive.

“Among individuals who do not use the internet, 58.9 percent said they lacked suitable devices, while 27.7 percent attributed their exclusion to inadequate digital skills,” reads part of the report.

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Source: NEW: Bata credits currency stability for increased capacity utilisation – herald

Harmony Agere

Currency stability, improved ease of doing business and renewed demand for locally manufactured footwear have driven a significant increase in Bata Shoe Company’s production capacity, with the company now targeting even higher output.

The company’s capacity utilisation has increased from 27 percent to 42 percent, a development attributed to growing demand, particularly through bulk orders from Government institutions and private sector clients.

Bata is now projecting that capacity utilisation will rise further to 65 percent.

In a statement, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the stability of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency had played a key role in the company’s improved performance, alongside a favourable business environment and increased market demand.

Bata is also expanding its retail footprint, with plans already underway to open five additional stores.

“The stability of the ZiG has played a huge role,” reads the statement.

“Plans to open an additional five stores are in progress. Currently, the shoe manufacturer and retailer employs over 1 000 workers directly and over 400 workers indirectly.

“Bata has also partnered with SMEs in the leather value chain and is promoting employment creation, skills transfer and economic empowerment.”

The Ministry said Bata was positioning itself for further expansion as demand for locally manufactured footwear continues to grow.

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Source: Zim’s FDI soars to near US$1 billion in 2025, hitting an all-time high – herald

Business Reporter

Zimbabwe recorded a monumental surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, with inflows reaching an unprecedented US$965 million, according to the World Investment Report 2026 published by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

This represents a 61,7 percent increase compared to 2024, smashing previous records and signalling a dramatic turnaround in the nation’s investment landscape.

The 2025 figure of US$965 million stands in stark contrast to the US$597 million recorded in 2024. Zimbabwe recorded Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows of US$745 million in 2018, up from US$349 million the previous year.

This all-time high cements a remarkable growth trajectory for Zimbabwe, with inward FDI stock rising to US$8,4 billion in 2025, up from US$7,4 billion the previous year. FDI stock represents the total accumulated value of all foreign direct investment held in a country at a specific point in time.

However, the record-setting FDI comes against a mixed regional backdrop. While Zimbabwe’s performance outstrips that of regional peers such as Angola—which saw a more modest 10,4 percent increase—Southern Africa as a whole experienced a 12,1 percent uptick in FDI . It also stands in contrast to the continent-wide trend, where African FDI fell by 26,3 percent to US$69,5 billion in 2025 after an exceptional 2024 .

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Source: Zim’s FDI soars to near US$1 billion in 2025, hitting an all-time high – herald

Business Reporter

Zimbabwe recorded a monumental surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, with inflows reaching an unprecedented US$965 million, according to the World Investment Report 2026 published by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

This represents a 61,7 percent increase compared to 2024, smashing previous records and signalling a dramatic turnaround in the nation’s investment landscape.

The 2025 figure of US$965 million stands in stark contrast to the US$597 million recorded in 2024. Zimbabwe recorded Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows of US$745 million in 2018, up from US$349 million the previous year.

This all-time high cements a remarkable growth trajectory for Zimbabwe, with inward FDI stock rising to US$8,4 billion in 2025, up from US$7,4 billion the previous year. FDI stock represents the total accumulated value of all foreign direct investment held in a country at a specific point in time.

However, the record-setting FDI comes against a mixed regional backdrop. While Zimbabwe’s performance outstrips that of regional peers such as Angola—which saw a more modest 10,4 percent increase—Southern Africa as a whole experienced a 12,1 percent uptick in FDI . It also stands in contrast to the continent-wide trend, where African FDI fell by 26,3 percent to US$69,5 billion in 2025 after an exceptional 2024 .

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Source: Econet invests US$200mln to expand network capacity – herald

Business Reporter

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is investing more than US$200 million to expand network capacity, enhance service quality and reduce disruptions caused by persistent power challenges.

The investment comes as rapidly rising demand for mobile data continues to place increasing pressure on telecommunications infrastructure, driven by growing smartphone adoption, video streaming, digital services and greater reliance on mobile connectivity.

Econet Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Douglas Mboweni said the company’s immediate priorities are to expand network capacity and strengthen infrastructure resilience to ensure customers continue to enjoy a more reliable and consistent connectivity experience.

“Every year, our customers are consuming significantly more data than the year before. Staying ahead of this growth requires continuous investment in network capacity, smarter technologies and infrastructure that can withstand the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital environment,” said Dr Mboweni.

Econet operates more than 7 000 base stations across Zimbabwe, supporting 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G technologies. Dr Mboweni said the company is progressively retiring legacy 2G and 3G networks and reallocating spectrum to 4G and 5G services to increase capacity, improve speeds and enhance the overall customer experience.

The migration to newer technologies is, however, being affected by the continued use of older handsets, particularly among rural communities, where millions of subscribers are unable to access the full benefits of modern digital services.

“We have more than three million subscribers whose handsets are too old to support many of today’s digital services. If you are using a 2G or 3G device, high-bandwidth applications such as TikTok and YouTube will either not work or will deliver a poor experience,” said Dr Mboweni.

“That is a device limitation, not a network limitation. We are therefore working on initiatives to make new smartphones more affordable, so that more Zimbabweans can upgrade and fully benefit from the capabilities of the current technologies we offer.”

At the same time, unreliable electricity supply remains one of the biggest challenges contributing to network disruptions, prompting Econet to accelerate investment in alternative energy solutions.

The company is constructing a solar power station at Econet Tech City to supply its Harare operations with renewable energy. It is also deploying an artificial intelligence-based energy management system to monitor and optimise power usage across its network, with the goal of reducing power-related faults by up to 50 percent by the end of the year.

“We have made significant progress in a very short space of time, and we are already seeing the impact. By December, customers should experience a network with significantly more capacity, greater resilience and far fewer disruptions caused by power challenges,” said Dr Mboweni.

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