According to research ICT Africa’s new portal for mobile tariffs, Zimbabwe’s mobile voice tariffs are currently among the most expensive on the continent. Comparisons on the site are based on tariffs charged by either dominant operators, non-dominant operators or all operators.
The comparison based on dominant operators (e.g. Econet Zimbabwe, MTN South Africa, Mascom Botswana), reveal Zimbabwe’s tariffs as number 7 most expensive. Basing the comparison by non-dominant operators (like Telecel Zimbabwe, Zamtel Zambia and LEO Namibia) Zimbabwe’s tariffs comes out number 4 most expensive among other non-dominant operators in Africa.
The tariffs on the site were obtained by averaging the cost of 40 calls made randomly in one month.
Below is the top-ten-country list (based on dominant operators) of the most high voice tariffs in Africa. The tariffs are presented in their USD equivalencies.
| Ranking | Country |
Q2 2011 (US$) |
Q2 2012 (US$) |
Q2 2013 (US$) |
| 1 | Morocco |
39.11 |
22.92 |
39.11 |
| 2 | Cape Verde |
32.67 |
29.82 |
29.82 |
| 3 | Swaziland |
38.97 |
27.2 |
27.2 |
| 4 | Malawi |
20.1 |
16.91 |
23.78 |
| 5 | Lesotho |
26.45 |
23.74 |
23.76 |
| 6 | Madagascar |
17.2 |
20.17 |
23.06 |
| 7 | Zimbabwe |
22.75 |
22.75 |
22.70 |
| 8 | Angola |
20.67 |
22.55 |
22.55 |
| 9 | Niger |
20.57 |
20.57 |
19.35 |
| 10 | Zambia |
19.07 |
19.07 |
19.07 |
Below is the list based on non-dominant operators.
| Ranking | Country |
Q2 2011 (US$) |
Q2 2012 (US$) |
Q2 2013 (US$) |
| 1 | Cape Verde |
33.73 |
33.73 |
38.50 |
| 2 | Togo |
– |
25.21 |
25.21 |
| 3 | Madagascar |
15.54 |
19.54 |
22.32 |
| 4 | Central African Republic |
21.99 |
21.99 |
21.99 |
| 5 | Zimbabwe |
21.57 |
21.57 |
21.83 |
| 6 | Angola |
19.64 |
19.87 |
19.97 |
| 7 | Lesotho |
19.28 |
19.28 |
19.28 |
| 8 | Zambia |
16.8 |
9.86 |
18.76 |
| 9 | Malawi |
13.86 |
15.47 |
18.39 |
| 10 | Cameroon |
17.13 |
17.13 |
17.13 |
Considering only the countries in Southern Africa, and basing the list by dominant operators, Zimbabwe comes up number 3 most high after MTN Swaziland and Vodacom Lesotho. Basing the list by non-dominant operators Zimbabwe comes out the most expensive in Southern Africa .
Below is the list based on dominant operators in Southern Africa
| Ranking | Country |
Q2 2011 (US$) |
Q2 2012 (US$) |
Q2 2013 (US$) |
| 1 | Swaziland |
38.97 |
27.2 |
27.20 |
| 2 | Lesotho |
26.45 |
23.74 |
23.76 |
| 3 | Zimbabwe |
22.75 |
22.75 |
22.70 |
| 4 | Angola |
20.67 |
22.55 |
22.55 |
| 5 | Zambia |
19.07 |
19.07 |
19.07 |
| 6 | South Africa |
16.78 |
16.78 |
14.91 |
| 7 | Botswana |
12.93 |
12.93 |
12.93 |
| 8 | Namibia |
19.54 |
12.2 |
12.2 |
Below is the list based on non-dominant operators in Southern Africa
| Ranking | Country |
Q2 2011 (US$) |
Q2 2012 (US$) |
Q2 2013 (US$) |
| 1 | Zimbabwe |
21.57 |
21.57 |
21.83 |
| 2 | Angola |
19.64 |
20.86 |
19.97 |
| 3 | Lesotho |
19.28 |
19.28 |
19.28 |
| 4 | Zambia |
16.80 |
9.86 |
18.76 |
| 5 | Namibia |
12.80 |
12.8 |
12.80 |
| 6 | South Africa |
16.62 |
12.94 |
12.57 |
| 7 | Botswana |
15.49 |
11.75 |
11.75 |
Image via shutterstock
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