By 
By Ross Moyo
NetOne Group CEO Eng. Raphael Mushanawani has said macroeconomic stability creates the foundation for growth, but digital transformation determines the speed, scale and inclusivity of that growth.
Speaking at the Mid-Term Economic Review & High-Level Policy Dialogue yesterday, Mushanawani told Government, industry and development partners that digital infrastructure is now core economic infrastructure. He cited global evidence that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can drive up to 1.5% GDP growth.
Mushanawani said:
“Every investment in network expansion must translate into economic expansion. When we connect farming communities, we enable access to markets, weather intelligence and financial inclusion.”
The NetOne CEO said the operator has expanded coverage to 85–90% of the population, with a subscriber base exceeding 4 million users, following network modernisation and resilience investments. He added that digital adoption can improve productivity by 15–30% across industries.
Mushanawani called for policy and fiscal adjustments to reduce the cost of digital infrastructure deployment. He said the sector continues to face 15% VAT on imports, varying tariff classifications, and inconsistencies in exemptions for broadband infrastructure equipment, despite selected ICT equipment enjoying duty-free status.
He said rationalising these measures would align with National Development Strategy 2, the National ICT Policy 2022–2027 and Vision 2030, and would accelerate investment, universal connectivity and national competitiveness.
NetOne operates under the Mutapa Investment Fund portfolio and says it sees itself as an “architect” of economic transformation rather than a spectator.
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