Zimbabwe, located in southern Africa, is landlocked, with a diverse topography ranging from highveld, balancing boulders and flaming msasa trees, to laidback towns, lush mountains and lifeblood rivers. Its population is unevenly distributed, with a high concentration in the capital city, Harare, and other major cities, such as Bulawayo and Chitungwiza, but rural areas are significantly less populated. Zimbabwe's telecommunications sector is developing, with mobile operators like Econet, NetOne and Telecel leading in terms of infrastructure, while the fixed-line operator is TelOne. There has been significant growth in mobile money services due to the country's economic challenges. In addition to the country's existing hydropower operations, there is a growing interest in solar power, due to the country's favourable sunny climate, but this sector is still in its infancy.
Mobile Network Operators
The are 3 companies operating mobile networks in this region.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is a telecommunications network operating in Zimbabwe. The company was established in 1993 by Strive Masiyiwa and was initially intended to be named "Enhanced Communications Network", but was later abbreviated to Econet. In 1998, Econet was granted a telephony licence, marking a significant milestone as at that time, 70% of the country's inhabitants had never heard a ringtone. Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is a subsidiary of the Econet Group, a diversified telecommunications group with operations and investments across various continents.
In 2013, Econet acquired a...
NetOne is a state-owned telecommunications company in Zimbabwe. It was established in 1996, making it the first mobile network operator in the country. The company is wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe under the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services. NetOne provides a range of services, including voice, data, SMS and mobile financial services. It operates under a license issued by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
Telecel Zimbabwe, headquartered in Harare, is a mobile telecommunications network service provider established in 1998. The company is the third largest of its kind in Zimbabwe. Its founding was a result of a collaboration between Telecel International, an affiliate of the Cairo-based Orascom Telecom Company, and the Empowerment Corporation, a consortium of Zimbabwean business entities. Telecel International is owned by VEON, a global telecommunications conglomerate with operations spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The government of Zimbabwe is the principal...