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Zimbabwe’s largest mobile telecommunications operator, Econet Wireless, is struggling to keep its network afloat, with subscribers increasingly voicing frustration over deteriorating service quality. As outages, dropped calls, and sluggish internet speeds become the norm, the company is facing a formidable new competitor: Elon Musk’s Starlink.
In a recent public notice that has done little to quell customer dissatisfaction, Econet admitted, “We apologise for the Data challenges you may be experiencing. Our engineers are working to restore normal service. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.”
For many users across the country—especially in high-density urban zones—these challenges are far from new. Over the past year, Econet’s network performance has been declining steadily, leaving subscribers disillusioned and angry. On platforms like X and Facebook, users have been venting, sharing screenshots of failed messages, buffering pages, and sky-high data bundle costs.
“You buy expensive data bundles, but you can’t even send a simple WhatsApp message,” said one disgruntled user from Gweru.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Econet. Starlink, the satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, is quietly gaining ground in Zimbabwe. Though not yet officially launched nationwide, its underground presence is growing—offering high-speed, low-latency internet through a network of low-earth orbit satellites. Rural communities, small businesses, and urban professionals are turning to the alternative, lured by its reliability and simplicity.
“Starlink’s model completely bypasses traditional telecom infrastructure, offering a reliable alternative to mobile data, especially in under-serviced areas,” said a Harare-based telecommunications analyst.
Econet has long dominated Zimbabwe’s telecoms sector, but experts warn its grip may be loosening. Despite repeated promises to upgrade infrastructure and expand data capacity, meaningful improvements have yet to be seen. The result: growing customer churn and an image problem that threatens the brand’s long-held status.
Complicating matters further is the broader economic turmoil in Zimbabwe. The ongoing currency crisis, foreign currency shortages, and import restrictions have made it harder for telecom operators to source critical equipment, maintain base stations, and cover international bandwidth fees. Still, critics argue that Econet’s leadership has been slow to respond with effective strategies.
“Econet’s failure to invest in resilient infrastructure and better customer service is a major part of the problem. Yes, the economy is tough, but they’re also not moving fast enough,” said a digital consultant familiar with Zimbabwe’s telecoms landscape.
Unless Econet acts swiftly to stabilize its network and re-establish customer trust, it risks losing more than just subscribers—it could lose its place at the top of the telecom hierarchy in a country that’s becoming increasingly hungry for fast, reliable, and accessible internet.
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