Zimbabwe Goes Live With National Speed Monitoring System (NSMS): Real-Time IoT Tracking for Kombis and Buses

By Ross Moyo

Government has launched the National Speed Monitoring System (NSMS), a technology-driven platform that moves Zimbabwe from manual speed traps to real-time IoT monitoring of public service vehicles.

Launched by Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona at VID Belvedere and Rainbow Towers Hotel on Wednesday, the system enforces Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023 which requires all public service vehicles to be fitted with speed limiting devices capped at 100km/h and speed monitoring devices that store data for not less than six months.

The NSMS is a joint implementation by Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage (ZRP), and Ministry of ICT through the Vehicle Inspectorate Department.

Minister Mhona confirmed a 3-month grace period to comply, with some reports citing 3-6 months: “To allow all public service vehicle operators sufficient time to comply, Government will grant a grace period of three months from the date of this launch. Upon expiry of the grace period, the law will take its full course.”

He said: “This initiative is not simply about tracking vehicles on a map. It is about saving lives, improving accountability and strengthening public confidence in our transport system,” and it directly supports the national target to reduce road fatalities by 25% by 2030.

Unlike legacy roadblocks, NSMS provides continuous telemetry – location, speed, driver behaviour – to a central control, enabling timely interventions and data-driven planning for public transport.