The Starlink hype seems to be on the quiet side these days, but that’s only because there is no capacity in Harare where the noise makers are. The service continues to quietly spread in the country.
One of its key players, Shona Prince, has become the face of Starlink locally and is now listed on the official Starlink website as the only authorised retailer in the country.
But the company isn’t stopping there, from a growing network of branches in Zimbabwe to now spanning five African countries, Shona Prince is becoming one of Starlink’s strongest partners in the region.
Starlink in Zimbabwe: Demand Outpaces Supply
Shona Prince’s Avondale branch feels like a tech hub, alive with walk-ins curious about Starlink kits, pricing, and installation. At least in the few minutes I was there.
But beyond Harare, the real story is where the demand lies.
From our conversations on the ground, there could be 10,000 Starlink users in Harare who are currently on the Roaming package, not because they want to, but because residential capacity hasn’t opened up yet.
That matters because pricing between the two is night and day: one in the 30s and one in the 100s.
It’s no surprise then that uptake for the roaming option in Harare has been limited; most people are holding out for the cheaper, fixed-service deal.
The Unexpected Hotspots Driving Growth
If Harare isn’t leading Starlink adoption, then who is?
Surprisingly, much of Shona Prince’s business right now is coming from outside the capital. Areas like Mutoko, and several smaller towns many Zimbabweans have never even heard about, are scooping up kits like nobody’s business.
Why? Because residential capacity exists there. With fibre still unavailable in most rural and semi-urban regions, Starlink has become the first genuinely viable high-speed internet option.
Branching Out: Shona Prince’s Local Strategy
To meet demand where it’s highest, Shona Prince has been expanding aggressively within Zimbabwe. The company now has branches in:
- Harare
- Mutare
- Masvingo
- Gweru
- Victoria Falls
- Bulawayo
The Avondale store we visited isn’t just a showroom. Kits are on display, staff are walking customers through the setup process, and it appears as if they focus on educating users who might not be as tech-savvy.
From Zimbabwe to Africa: Retailer, Not Reseller, With Big Ambitions
Shona Prince isn’t just expanding within Zimbabwe, it’s positioning itself as a regional connector for Starlink. The company now holds Authorised Starlink Retailer status in five African countries: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zambia, and Rwanda.
You might recall: there’s a big difference between Authorised Retailers like Shona Prince and Authorised Commercial Resellers like TelOne, Aura, and others in Zimbabwe.
- Authorised Retailers like Shona Prince sell the hardware (Starlink kits). Once the customer activates the kit, Starlink itself manages the account, service, and ongoing support directly.
- Authorised Commercial Resellers, on the other hand, control the entire customer experience: account setup, tariffs, billing, technical support, and more, all managed locally.
This hybrid setup puts Shona Prince in a scalable growth position if you think about it. By focusing on hardware distribution, they avoid the costs of running complex support operations while at the same time becoming the go-to Starlink entry point in five different markets.
That said, Zimbos will flood their shops if they face any challenges, despite Starlink handling those accounts. That’s just what Zimbos do, we love a physical location, and we will go to the place we bought the kit for support, not the email correspondence that Starlink wants.
Anyway, with a growing network of stores and agents across these countries, Shona Prince is strategically placed to ride Starlink’s expansion wave, especially as capacity opens up and more residential slots become available.
The Bottom Line
Starlink has already changed what’s possible for rural connectivity in Zimbabwe, and Shona Prince has become one of the names driving that transformation. From Mutoko to Victoria Falls, and now across five African countries, the company is betting big on demand for reliable internet, and it’s positioning itself to meet that demand wherever Starlink opens capacity.
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