Zim's Mobile subscribers increase to 18,6m

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s mobile telephone subscribers grew by 5,5 percent in the first quarter of this year to 18,6 million from 17,6 million recorded as at December 31, 2014, latest official figures show.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) in its latest report noted that active mobile subscribers marginally rose by 0,5 percent to reach 11,9 million from 11,8 million subscribers recorded in the previous quarter.

“The mobile penetration rate (active) also increased from 90,3 percent recorded in the previous quarter to reach 90,8 percent,” the watchdog said, adding that all the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) except Econet Wireless Zimbabwe (Econet) registered a decline in their active subscriber bases.

Zimbabwe has three MNOs, Econet, NetOne and Telecel Zimbabwe (Telecel).

In terms of market share of active subscribers Econet subscribers increased to 55,8 percent from 54,7 percent while NetOne market share for subscribers decreased from 27,1 percent to 26,7 percent as Telecel market share also plummeted to 17,5 percent from 18,2 percent.

“A comparison with fourth quarter market share statistics shows that Econet’s market share increased whereas NetOne and Telecel’s market share declined. This is coherent with the decline in the subscriber bases of Telecel and NetOne and the gain in active subscribers by Econet,” said Potraz.