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Zimbabwe’s digital landscape is rapidly evolving, with the first quarter of 2025 marking a significant leap in mobile connectivity. According to the latest sector performance report by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), the country recorded a 53.33% increase in 5G base stations, the highest growth rate across all mobile technologies.
The number of 5G base stations jumped from 120 in Q4 2024 to 184 in Q1 2025—an addition of 64 sites in just three months. This reflects growing investment in next-generation infrastructure aimed at meeting rising demand for high-speed, low-latency mobile internet. “The 5G expansion signals our readiness for smarter digital services, from real-time video to industrial automation,” noted a local telecom expert reacting to the data.
Overall, Zimbabwe’s mobile base station total surpassed 11,900, with contributions from 2G, 3G, LTE, and 5G technologies. LTE (4G) saw the second-highest growth at 4.21%, with 123 new base stations added, increasing the total from 2,924 to 3,047. Meanwhile, 3G deployments rose by a modest 0.62% (23 additions), and 2G declined slightly by 0.14%, shedding 7 base stations.
Econet remained the dominant player in terms of base station market share across all technologies, followed by NetOne and Telecel. This trend underscores the competitive dynamics in Zimbabwe’s telecom sector, where infrastructure rollout plays a central role in shaping user experience and market leadership.
On the fixed telephony front, growth remains steady but slow. The total number of active fixed telephone subscriptions rose marginally by 0.91%, from 298,047 in Q4 2024 to 300,748 in Q1 2025. This includes a 1.33% rise in Fixed VoIP and a 0.85% increase in PSTN lines. Despite the numerical growth, fixed teledensity dropped slightly from 1.94% to 1.92%, a sign that fixed-line penetration is being diluted by population growth.
“The fixed-line growth is modest, and reflects the global trend where mobile continues to take the lead,” commented one industry analyst. “The future lies in wireless connectivity, especially with the promise 5G holds for industries and digital transformation.”
As the sector continues its steady march toward modernization, the strong 5G rollout signals Zimbabwe’s commitment to keeping pace with global telecom trends and supporting digital inclusion across the country.
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