By 
By Ross Moyo
Government has repealed a rule introduced weeks ago that would have forced telecommunications companies to be at least 75% Zimbabwean-owned, opening the sector back to higher foreign shareholding. The SI 101 has been scrapped weeks after gazetting raising eyebrows.
Government has dropped the 75% local ownership requirement for telcos through SI 111 of 2026, just weeks after introducing it under SI 101 of 2026.
Statutory Instrument 111 of 2026, cited as the “Postal and Telecommunications (Ownership Requirements for Licences) (Repeal) Regulations, 2026”, revokes SI 101 of 2026.
SI 101 had capped foreign ownership at 25% and gave existing licensees 90 days to submit a restructuring plan, with a 3-year compliance window.
SI 111 states:
“The Postal and Telecommunications (Ownership Requirements for Licences) Regulations, 2026, published in Statutory Instrument 101 of 2026, are hereby repealed.”
The repeal was made by the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services in terms of section 99 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act [Chapter 12:05], after consultation with the Authority.
The reversal removes the immediate restructuring burden on operators with foreign investors, including Econet, NetOne and Telecel.
SI 101 had limited foreign ownership to 25% and required licensees to file a 90-day compliance plan, with full compliance in 3 years.
The new SI 111 repeals SI 101 in full, with effect from gazetting. The move signals a policy reversal on foreign investment thresholds in the ICT sector.
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