Zimbabwe’s tele-density reaches 100%, mobile penetration now 97%

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar
mobile-subs-market-share

POTRAZPostal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has released the December 2012 (4th quarter) mobile phone and fixed telephone subscribers statistics. According to statistics that we received from the regulator, Zimbabwe’s mobile penetration is now 97%, up from 85% in June 2012.

Econet Wireless, the largest telecoms company had 8,014,055 subscribers for the 3rd quarter of 2012. Telecel, the second largest mobile operator had 2,582,154 subscribers while NetOne, the smallest of the three, had a total 2,017,726 subscribers.

The subscriber statistics show the total active subscribers (SIM cards) on the networks over the quarter under review. POTRAZ gets the figures from the operators. The mobile penetration is calculated against the total population of the country, which is currently estimated at 13 million.

mobile-subs-market-share

On the fixed line side of things, where a government monopoly, TelOne rules, active subscribers continue to decrease. The operator had 325,000 active subscribers in the last quarter of 2012, down from 373,000, revealed for the previous quarter.

Altogether Zimbabwe’s Tele-density has reached 100%. Tele-density measures the number of active mobile phone SIM cards and land-lines as a percentage of the country’s total population. This of-course doesn’t mean that everyone (including infants) has a SIM card or land-line  Just means the total number of subscriptions is now equal to the population.

8 comments

  1. coor

    teledensity is actually 99.5 hehehehe.couldn’t resist

  2. Blogger

    cell phones will soon replace landline phones entirely – despite people using ADSL or dial-ups.

    1. Culprit

      I seriously doubt a company like econet would ditch or stop using landlines… they still have them

      1. WONBC

        Becoz they are cheaper! kkkk. Thats a good observation!

      2. Blogger

        Of-course, landlines are cheaper than cell phones in their running costs and landlines never run out of battery plus never need to be charged but landline phones are going towards extinction?

  3. 🙂

    I wonder how the market share would be for Econet if people were allowed to migrate to different networks and still keep their numbers. I feel the share between Econet and Telecel would be even instead of what they have now since subscribers are locked to their subscriber.

    1. Wonder

      One can easily have 2 sims cards and gradually phase out the other one after all contacts are OK with the new number!. Surely that cant be an excuse of not migrating if you want!

  4. Cde_Hero

    Vakomana! zvino Econet ichakurirepi kana iyo Netone kana Telecel yacho. Saka zvichangove zvekutorerana macustomer here kana kumirira vamwe varikkura nevari zvarwa. Inga zvairi nhamo inonakidza

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