NetOne joins the club, raises voice, data and SMS prices but still very cheap

Leonard Sengere

14 July 2022

We knew this was coming, Econet raised their tariffs on Wednesday and NetOne will be doing the same. The regulator, POTRAZ, approved of these price hikes and I’ll stand by it, this was long overdue.

NetOne’s new, higher prices, will be be in effect on Friday the 15^th of July. Here’s what you will be paying from that day onwards.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Dear Valued Customer,
Please be advised that as per regulatory approval, our tariffs effective 15 July 2022 shall be as follows:
Voice – ZWL$0.2686 per second
Data – ZWL$2.5522 per MB
SMS – ZWL$3.3137 per SMS
Visit www.netone.co.zw for more information
NetOne

That’s ridiculously cheap

Those prices look familiar because they are exactly what Econet now charges. This is what POTRAZ decided should be the going rate.

I’ll repeat what I said when Econet raised their prices, these new prices are not fair. Not because they are too high, no, they are too low. They are not fair on the mobile network operators.

I find it hard to complain about shoddy service when I’m paying this little for the service. I still complain, as is my right, but it’s harder when I feel like I’m swindling NetOne. Could this explain the botched system upgrade a little while ago? It doesn’t, but it helps paint the picture.

We can’t expect world class service from NetOne when we pay them literal peanuts. This is not to say I have anything above peanuts to give them, I am just as cash strapped as everyone else. Indeed if the prices were higher than what’s above, I would store my SIM card under my mattress.

That doesn’t change the fact that getting 43 minutes for a dollar is insane. That’s what ZW$0.2686 per second works out to, ZW$700 (approx US$1) being enough to get 43 minutes. You have to admit that is cheap, if you’re being honest. It is not NetOne or Econet’s fault that we are a nation of poor people.

Deep down you know I’m right

This is not me defending these companies, no, this is me calling a spade a spade. We were in the forefront in bashing NetOne that time they tried to charge US$800 for 80GB. This time around they have done nothing wrong but are hard done themselves.

The analogy remains valid, if someone sells a 2022 Hilux for $10,000 that is ridiculously cheap even if I can’t afford it. It’s cheap but unaffordable. I can’t say it is expensive because most of us can’t afford it. We just have to be honest in weighing what we’re getting for the amount. $10,000 is too little for a Hilux truck.

Same goes for voice airtime. US$1 is too little for 43 minutes of talk time. It gives me no pleasure to say it because as a customer I didn’t even want the prices to go up.

As a realist though, I’m worried about these low prices and what they could mean in the future. As a customer I feel like it’s our turn to get the better deal. So, yeah, I’m torn.

However when it comes to the new data prices, I’m not torn at all, they are too high. But again, we don’t really use out of bundle browsing and so are not too worried about it.

We shall see what happens with the OneFusion bundles. Those are the ones we use and care about.

You should also read:

Econet voice, data and SMS bundles going up, now it’s 43 minutes for the price of a loaf of bread

Liquid Home’s new internet prices

Broadband, Connectivity, Mobile Internet

25 comments

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Rodrick

14 July 2022 13:15

Leonard Sengere we know u are a mbinga,those tariffs prices should go down.

Reply
1. Leonard Sengere
  
  14 July 2022 13:37
  
  I’m not a mbinga guys. But Rodrick pafeya mfes wangu. Do you think 43 minutes for US$1 is fair. Amana where in the world do you get that kind of price?
  As a customer I too didn’t want the prices to go up but guys, let’s be serious, these prices will bite us in the end when already sketchy service will deteriorate.
  
  Reply
  1. Chiky
    
    14 July 2022 15:40
    
    So you want to tell that these network providers and Potraz would be so foolish to allow the MNOs to operate at a loss? Okay what about all the time when the tariffs in Zimbabwe are the highest in the continent?
    
    Reply
  2. call home
    
    14 July 2022 16:32
    
    In North America 15USD gives a month of unlimited North America talk time and SMS, 10USD can get a month of unlimited talk to one of the countries UK, China, India, one European country.
    
    Funny fact, in 1990s in the UK phone calls for local and UK long-distance were more expensive than calls from UK to North America
    
    Reply
  3. Sam
    
    14 July 2022 17:03
    
    Actually in N. America if ever u get a plan with per minute billing for talk it will be about 5 cents per minute (which is very expensive compared to the unlimited calls plans) and if 43 minutes is a loaf in N. America that will be 43*5 or 2.15USD which about the price of bread in N. America also.
    
    Reply
  4. Leo
    
    14 July 2022 23:30
    
    In Botswana Orange is charging 399 pula for unlimited Internet that’s 31.26usd and don’t get me started on that fella who selling their rooters for $1555 😤 nxaa
    
    Reply
  5. Tichgonese
    
    15 July 2022 14:18
    
    This is too expensive comparing with our neighbor countries like Zambia Mozambique Malawi and so on.
    I was in Zambia yesterday and it’s 156 minutes for a dollar and in Mozambique it’s even way cheaper than that
    
    Reply
John

14 July 2022 13:28

Yo, @ Leonard, do you have netone shares we do know about. Why are you so interested in these corporations making trillions at our detriment. You have Stockholm’s syndrome my guy, you should get that checked out, see a psychiatrist or something. Coz it’s not healthy big man things

Reply
1. John
  
  14 July 2022 13:33
  
  *we don’t know about.
  
  Reply
2. Leonard Sengere
  
  14 July 2022 13:43
  
  Hahaha, not a single share my guy. I don’t need to see a psychiatrist. You know I’m right.
  
  But John taura tinzwe, are you trying to tell me that US$1 for 43 minutes is too expensive? Where else in Africa can you get such prices?
  I care about this because in the end when these MNOs get peanuts it is service that will suffer. With the power cuts ramping up, do not be surprised when they neglect to use generators at their base stations. Why would they? If they only get US$1 munhu otaura usiku hwese.
  
  Reply
  1. John
    
    14 July 2022 14:34
    
    Africa is not the benchmark. In other countries they pay a flat subscription fee of less than 30 dollars per month on contact.
    You are just saying that because you are so used to being raped without vaseline. So when the rapist dials it down a bit you malfunction a bit. You start feeling Sry for your abuser.
    
    Reply
  2. Chiky
    
    14 July 2022 15:48
    
    Iwe a US1 is about RTGS360 which gives about US$2 per minute. Where are you getting the 700 rate from? Who told you NetOne and Econet get forex at the black market, not via the auction system? What are you trying to push for?
    
    Reply
  3. The empress
    
    15 July 2022 01:49
    
    You are so right. This nonsense is going to cost us in the long run. We just don’t want to admit it.
    
    Reply
  4. Learnford
    
    15 July 2022 16:05
    
    You need to be practical because comparing Zim with other countries where people are living on per Capita above $5 per day and Zim where it’s below $1usd, this becomes very much expensive. The general population in Zim can’t afford to be on Facebook, Instagram, telegram why? They depend upon WhatsApp, because it’s expensive
    
    Reply
Tashinga

14 July 2022 14:05

People are living naked poverty in Zimbabwe, those tariffs prices are too high to ordinary people and not everyone earning USD

Reply
Isaac

14 July 2022 15:45

Sacrificing quality for quantity 🤷🏽‍♂️

Reply
Ras Tiraz

14 July 2022 17:36

Hahaha Leonard,i am sure the directors at NetOne know what they are doing, dont worry for them my guy.Just enjoy the 43minutes.If the service gets bad we will just switch to another network takaenda takaenda

Reply
1. John
  
  14 July 2022 22:31
  
  I’m beginning to think he is sponsored by netone. Maybe that why even their website has the same colour as a netone SIM card
  
  Reply
Taxed Out

14 July 2022 21:41

in the case of netone, just think of the prices as part of our social welfare benefits! After all, they have recieved funding and operational leeway from the tax funded government! 🤣

Reply
Ancalagon The Black

15 July 2022 07:53

Cheap or expensive when has these MNOs service ever been good? For as long as I remember, its always been poor and for once we aren’t getting raw deal firmly in their favour. The pricing is very fair

Reply
1. Smaug, King Under the Mountain
  
  15 July 2022 21:11
  
  Haha! True enough!
  
  Reply
  1. Glaurung, Father Of Dragons
    
    16 July 2022 19:40
    
    You know it, my brother
    
    Reply
Czár

15 July 2022 08:50

Don’t get why the author keeps pin pointing at the black market rate like these MNOs are run by mafias. These guys get forex at Z$360 per US$1 interbank rate, so pricing is fair but hectic for the ordinary Zimbo who works for a $1 per day

Reply
Imi Vanhu Musadaro

15 July 2022 20:15

You are saying its not fair the MNO how? Are they operating at a loss? If they were, certainly they would just revoke the product.

If you are used to getting fleeced, you start thinking that’s the price you deserve. Gone are the days when mobile Internet was for the elite.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that any shoddy service you receive has to do with data/service pricing. It has to do with the monopoly mindset of “where else can you go”.

Reply
The Empress

16 July 2022 01:34

Do you know who the most hated person in bar is?
It’s the guy who out of nowhere says… “hey guys it’s not fair to let the mbinga buy all the rounds of alcohol we should also chip in”
Right now Mr Sengere you are that guy
…. So even if are right nd correct in what you said, the fact of the matter is that a pig in a mosque has a higher popularity rating than you right now 😂😂

Reply