I came across this exciting post on X.com by Victor Mapunga, the founder of Shona Prince Technologies, announcing that they will be opening the first Starlink retail store in Zimbabwe!
For the first time, you’ll be able to walk into a store, or place an order through local channels, and get your residential Starlink kit and service immediately. No figuring out online buying by yourself & waiting for delivery. No shady black market guys on Facebook Marketplace. Just official Starlink, available in Zimbabwe, same day.
Who is Shona Prince Technologies
Mapunga and his company have already been operating in Mozambique, where Starlink was officially licensed back in February 2022. It looks like their experience there is now coming to benefit Zimbabwe.
Here’s the tweet that kicked off all the excitement:
In follow-up tweets, Victor confirmed the store will open in May — and May starts tomorrow. Let’s go!
Mapunga himself is not new to entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe and beyond. He founded another startup called FlexID which we wrote about here on Techzim back in 2022. You discover more about him in this Conversation with Trevor.
Why A Starlink Store Matters (especially for Harare)
If you’re in Harare, you already know the story: congestion.
Since September 2024, Starlink capacity in Harare and surrounding areas has been maxed out. Lots of people want to buy the service, but Starlink simply isn’t accepting new users in the region.
Everyone had hoped things would improve in the first quarter of 2025, but while Bulawayo got some relief (capacity there opened up in February), Harare is still out of luck. It’s now well into Q2, and we’re still waiting.
That said — there’s hope. Just this week, Starlink opened up capacity again in the USA. When we look at the Starlink Availability Map, it seems like capacity issues now mostly affect Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.
So if Starlink expands Harare capacity anytime soon, the new retail store could be a game changer for how fast and easily people can finally get connected.
Online Payment Headaches: Why This Retail Store Is a Big Deal
For a lot of Zimbabweans, ordering directly from starlink.com has been way more complicated than it sounds.
Let’s be honest — many people simply aren’t used to shopping online. Some folks didn’t know where to click, how eCommerce works, or what to expect after placing an order.
Because we have cover Starlink quite a bit Questions like: “Where do I collect the product from?” “How exactly is it delivered?” “Who do I talk to if something goes wrong?” These questions would stop people in their tracks and some would give up.
Then comes the issue of paying online. Starlink.com only accepts credit or debit cards that work internationally. While Zimbabweans do have access to options like EcoCash Mastercard, Prepaid Visa/Mastercards from local banks, Omari and other such, these aren’t easy to understand or set up for many. There’s still a learning curve.
Worse, due to the economic crisis in Zimbabwe, a lot of people operate strictly in cash. No bank account. No card. To buy Starlink online, they had to sign up for and deposit cash into a prepaid card or mobile wallet and attempt the payment……only to find out that particular card wasn’t working on starlink.com that day or week. They’d then have to withdraw the money incurring hefty fees in the process and try again with another bank or wallet.
We’ve heard real horror stories of people trying at least 3 different banks losing money on every failed attempt.
That’s why having a physical Starlink shop matters. It solves not all but most of this. While your Starlink will be in your own name and subscription payments will happen online, you still have a physical dedicated shop for the initial interaction with the company.
Mapunga has said they are setting up shop in all 10 provinces in Zimbabwe.
Authorised Retailers vs. Resellers: What’s the difference?
Some of you may be confused about this development. Don’t we already have Authorised Starlink companies in the form of TelOne, Aura, Frampol and such?
We do, but those guys are Authorised Resellers. Starlink authorises them to sell the service to businesses, which is why you found when you went to them to buy, they’d sell you a business package, even though you really just needed a residential one. The business packages are ofcourse relatively expensive – you can see those prices here.
Shona Prince is not a Reseller but a Retailer, you can see they are authorised as such and listed on the Starlink website here.
What should you do now?
If you’re in Zimbabwe and looking to get Starlink, this new store could finally be the easiest and safest way to do it.
But — if you’re in Harare, availability still depends on Starlink unlocking new capacity. So keep an eye on the Starlink Map and check regularly.
You can also check our Starlink Guide here on Techzim, we update in when there’s a significant development. We also have WhatsApp group you can join to discuss with other Starlink users and those looking to buy.
If you have information regarding Starlink that you think could be useful to our readers, get in touch with me on WhatsApp 263772464000 and we’ll share it.
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