POTRAZ sets the record straight about data prices in Zim

Valentine Muhamba

Potraz DG in front of banner, POTRAZ Q3 2021

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has released a statement addressing some of the data prices that have been reported in some quarters of the media.

“The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe would like to advise the public to ignore a misleading infographic circulating on social media that is portraying Zimbabwe as having the most expensive data tariffs in Africa, with 1 Gigabyte (GB) of mobile data costing USD75.20. This emanated from a study done in 2019 by howmuch.net that is published on the cable.co.uk website. The circulated infographic is outdated and inaccurate as it does not reflect the true state of affairs during 2019 as well as what is obtaining now in Zimbabwe and other SADC countries.”

Dr Gift Muchengete, POTRAZ Director General

POTRAZ also included information collected by the Country Reports of the Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) for 2019 to compare with the data gathered by howmuch.net.

In addition to these figures, POTRAZ also gave the cost of data in Zimbabwe for 2020 as a response to the exclusion of Zimbabwe in a study done by cable.co.uk about global mobile data prices.

Lastly, POTRAZ also gave information on price trends in Zimbabwe from 2010 to the present date:

You can read the full POTRAZ data press statement in the link below:

POTRAZ-Press-Statement-Mobile-Data-Prices-in-Zim-FinalDownload

11 comments

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  1. Van Lee Chigwada

    Something isn’t right. South Africa is more expensive than Zim.

    Their prices may be flawed, but they are right that data in Zim is not so expensive. It’s cheaper than other countries. Our problem is that people are underpaid.

    Reply
    1. Ganyamatope

      But what are the considerations when measuring pricing levels between nations. Dont you consider income levels as well.

      Reply
      1. Van Lee Chigwada

        Normally you just compare prices in USD.
        For countries like Zimbabwe without a stable currency is tricky.

        At the end of the price comparison, you can mention how much a person earns on average. Usually, teachers are used as a benchmark.

        Reply
    2. Imi vanhu musadaro

      I agree that the problem is that people are underpaid. Unfortunately, one cannot sell below the wholesale data costs they incur as an MNO. But, Zim lacks honest brokers, so folks always feel they are being overcharged and in many instances they are, so the skepticism nevers ends.

      Reply
  2. Jimmy Boy

    Let’s say the truth. Data is too expensive here in Zim all the same.

    Reply
  3. Darlington Mabasa

    It’s a pity Potraz thinks Zim is cheaper. However, I’ve noticed the longer it takes to connect or open a page the more data one uses thereby making Zimbabwe tariffs higher. I stand to be corrected but I’ve used SA data and enjoyed the speed making it cheaper for me. Potraz is merely applying cosmetics to an old face hoping it looks younger.

    Reply
  4. Randal Flagg

    Data is too expensive in Zimbabwe regardless of what Potraz says. All of this means nothing when most Zimbabweans can’t afford data.

    Reply
  5. Anon

    The more relevant figure is the cheapest 1 GB . The fact that even the cheapest 1 GB, costs well over a $1 when many struggle to scrape together a couple of dollars a day to fight off hunger, is most telling. Another damning fact is that in order to pay those lower per GB prices you usually have to buy the premium (or should i say larger data bundles ) so you fork out more money in one go for service that is at risk of being disrupted by all sorts of faults.
    Over the years Potraz has gained prominence within Zim government for being a cash cow. It is one of the few (if not the only) government run institutions that is consistently in the black, so much so that proceeds earned from mobile telecoms sector are used to bank role many other government departments. Its not just Potraz, Government needs that money. (Just like that time when a particular political party badly needed to find a way to finance a certain general election 🙂

    Reply
  6. Ashley

    Data is expensive in Zimbabwe those are wrong prices they are sending on top

    Reply
  7. Jerry Musungo

    Data in Zimbabwe is not too expensive. Econet private wifi bundles are $25-$30 for 25gb which is enough data for my monthly consumption. The only problem with Zimbabwe is individuals rely more on their personal data where as in more developed countries people access free data in the market place there using less of their personal data. Network infrastructure has foreign currency costs and so does regular maintenance. Service providers cant give you data for free guys. If you were the service provider would you dish out data for free?

    Reply
    1. King B

      Boss, Data consumption being mainly talked about here, is “Out of Data Bundle Tariff.”
      In Other words, it s your Data Cost on Your Airtime.
      ——-Now Juice up your Buddie with 2000 rtgs (est at usd20, average to this date). Go online and check Yahoo pages or Amazon or cnn. You won’t Last 30 minutes Online—

      Reply

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