All mobile network operators NetOne, Econet and Telecel reviewed their data bundles tariffs for what is the umpteenth time this year. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at how the three stack up against each other and find out who has the better deal.
Before we get into the price comparison, it’s good to remember that the three have invested in differing degrees over the years into mobile internet infrastructure. Econet leads the way in all categories with NetOne coming second and Telecel making up the rear:
- 2G base stations market share – Econet 53.2%, Telecel 13.4% and NetOne 33.4%
- 3G base stations market share – Econet 56.4%, Telecel 14.8% and NetOne 28.8%
- LTE base stations market share – Econet 66.1%, Telecel 1.5% and NetOne 32.4%
Hopefully, this serves as the grain of salt for the data bundle price comparison because the one with more infrastructure will have the more consistent service delivery. The only caveat is the concentration of base stations in metropolitan areas as opposed to rural areas.
NB: We will be looking only at the popular WhatsApp, Private Wi-Fi and general data bundles in this comparison
Data Bundle tariffs Comparison
Private Wi-Fi bundles (valid for a month) this bundle took off when e-learning remote working were the order of the day #Mi-FiRevolution
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) Private Wi-Fi | NetOne (Price ZWL$) One-Fi | Telecel (Price ZWL$) Home Wi-Fi |
| 5 GB | – | – | 2,800.00 |
| 8 GB | 3,600.00 | – | – |
| 10 GB | – | 4,500.00 | 4,000.00 |
| 15 GB | 5,500.00 | – | – |
| 20 GB | – | – | 6,000.00 |
| 25 GB | 6,550.00 | 6,500.00 | – |
| 50 GB | 10,000.00 | 10,250.00 | 8,000.00 |
| 75 GB | – | – | 10,000.00 |
| 80 GB | – | 12,500.00 | – |
Telecel has the most data caps slightly edging out Econet and NetOne. Their bundles also start at the 5 GB mark which many NetOne and Econet customers have been crying out for on social media. However, for NetOne the issue is remedied (sort of) on the monthly data bundles later in this article.
As far as prices go Econet and Telecel look to be the most reasonable when you are going to their larger data bundle packages. NetOne on the other hand is quite pricey and leans heavily into the higher data allocations.
This means if you are dipping your toes into the higher data caps in this category you might as well lookup ZOL Wibroniks which is charging ZWL$11,627 for 100 GB. The hit you are going to take there are the fees for the router and installation but if you are buying an 80 GB NetOne One-Fi bundle it will be slightly cheaper, in the long run, to go for an ISP like ZOL.
Coverage is the only concern with services like Wibroniks, but ZOL has been adding locations. In September the ISP added 32 new locations as well as increased capacity in existing ones. As for TelOne Blaze and Utande LTE, the former is yet to announce that new sims and Mi-Fi routers are available while the latter is still only offering Uncapped packages (both available only in Harare).
An unlikely competitor for all the above is Dandemutande’s Facebook Express Public Wi-Fi offering. Its bundles are dirt cheap with 10 GB going for ZWL$1,325.00 which is near as makes no difference to three times cheaper than the price of what the MNOs are charging. The only drawback is that you will have to go to one of these spots to get access which in these pandemic times might not be optimal unless, of course, you work at or frequent that hotspot regularly.
WhatsApp data bundles
Daily
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 4 MB | 6.00 | – | – |
| 10 MB | – | – | 15.00 |
| 12 MB | 18.00 | – | – |
| 20 MB | 31.00 | 31.50 | – |
| 21 MB | – | – | 31.00 |
| 45 MB | 70.00 | – | – |
| 50 MB | – | 70.00 | 69.00 |
Econet is the most accessible in this category. A ZWL$6.00 WhatsApp bundle is a Godsend when you are in a pinch. Furthermore, Econet has the biggest spread of packages here while NetOne has the least. Price-wise, Econet is cheaper in the lower packages than the others but as the data allocation goes up, Telecel and NetOne look favourable.
Weekly
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 50 MB | – | – | – |
| 65 MB | 100.00 | – | – |
| 70 MB | – | 110.00 | – |
| 75 MB | – | – | 110.00 |
| 140 MB | 215.00 | – | – |
| 150 MB | – | 220.00 | – |
| 155 MB | – | – | 220.00 |
Telecel and NetOne are slightly more bang for the buck in this category, Telecel slightly edging out NetOne when it comes to price for the data.
Monthly
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 240 MB | 350.00 | – | – |
| 270 MB | – | – | 300.00 |
| 300 MB | – | 330.00 | – |
| 400 MB | 580.00 | – | – |
| 500 MB | – | – | 550.00 |
| 750 MB | – | 750.00 | – |
General data bundles
Hourly
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 1 GB (60 MINS) | 129.00 | 175.00 | – |
| 1 GB (120 MINS) | 215.00 | 315.00 | – |
| 1.5GB (120 MINS) | 279.00 | – | – |
Night
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 1 GB (1 NIGHT) | – | 350.00 | – |
| 1 GB (2 NIGHTS) | – | – | 300.00 |
| 2 GB (4 NIGHTS) | – | – | 400.00 |
Telecel comes off best here with the best array and durations for night bundles. ZWL$400 for 2GB over 4 nights is one hell of a deal if you have a use case for this kind of bundle.
Daily
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 20 MB | 31.00 | – | – |
| 30 MB | – | 47.00 | 45.00 |
| 40 MB | 62.00 | – | – |
| 50 MB | – | – | 73.00 |
| 80 MB | 123.00 | 125.00 | – |
| 100 MB | – | – | 130.00 |
| 150 MB | 230.00 | – | – |
| 200 MB | 275.00 | – | |
| 250 MB | 370.00 | – | – |
| 350 MB | – | – | 370.00 |
| 480 MB | – | 495.00 | – |
| 600 MB | 668.00 | – | 550.00 |
| 960 MB | – | – | – |
| 1,200 MB | 1,000.00 | – | – |
| 1,400 MB | – | – | 800.00 |
Weekly
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 20 MB | 31.00 | – | – |
| 30 MB | – | 47.00 | 43.00 |
| 50 MB | – | – | – |
| 60 MB | 94.00 | 94.00 | – |
| 65 MB | – | – | 93.00 |
| 100 MB | – | – | – |
| 160 MB | 250.00 | 245.00 | 225.00 |
| 250 MB | 385.00 | – | – |
| 350 MB | – | 500.00 | 420.00 |
| 370 MB | 530.00 | – | – |
| 700 MB | – | 900.00 | |
| 750 MB | – | – | 900.00 |
| 5,000 MB | – | 3,500.00 | – |
Monthly
| Data Allocation | Econet (Price ZWL$) | NetOne (Price ZWL$) | Telecel (Price ZWL$) |
| 100 MB | 157.00 | – | – |
| 200 MB | – | 315.00 | – |
| 210 MB | – | – | 312.00 |
| 270 MB | 420.00 | – | – |
| 450 MB | – | 710.00 | – |
| 500 MB | 770.00 | – | – |
| 600 MB | – | – | 820.00 |
| 700 MB | 1050 | – | – |
| 960 MB | – | – | 1,200.00 |
| 1,400 MB | 2,000.00 | – | – |
| 1,500 MB | – | 1,980.00 | – |
| 1,760 MB | – | – | 1,780.00 |
| 3,500 MB | – | 3,300.00 | – |
| 3,600 MB | – | – | 3,100.00 |
| 5,000 MB | – | 4,400.00 | – |
| 5,500 MB | – | – | 4,100.00 |
| 8,000 MB | – | 5,500.00 | – |
NetOne’s pricing in this category is a little odd. For the same amount you can buy an 8GB Monthly bundle you can get a 10GB One-Fi bundle and a thousand in change. More worrying is that the 5GB bundle is ZWL$100 cheaper than the aforementioned 10 GB One-Fi bundle, the duration for both the One-Fi and the Monthly bundle are all 30 days so what is the price all over the place? Why NetOne chose to price these bundles differently from the One-Fi bundles is a mystery…
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