07 September 2021

Econet Wireless increased its data packages by 20%, causing a major public outcry in the process.

The company justified its decision by indicating that operating costs have escalated over the past few months.

According to the reviewed Econet data bundle prices, the daily data bundle now costs Z$25 for 20MB up from Z$20. Subscribers will now pay Z$375 for a weekly 370MB data bundle, up from Z$288.

Several Zimbabweans took to social media to vent their frustration, but Econet defended the latest hikes which it said were prompted by rising operating costs of doing business.

“Econet Wireless has confirmed the review of its promotional bundle prices, saying the average 20% adjustment effective tomorrow was necessitated by rising costs,” a company spokesman said. “The bundle price adjustment is an average 20 % uplift across the board and is essentially in response to rising input costs.”

The service provider said the latest adjustments, which are still below the approved bundle tariffs by the regulator, will see a two-minute voice call bundle now going for Z$10, up from the Z$8.40, while a weekly 30-minute bundle will go from Z$166 to Z$180.

An SMS daily bundle, consisting of five messages, has been reviewed upwards to Z$2.40, from Z$2.09, while the weekly bundle, made up of 75 messages, will now cost Z$30, up from Z$23.81.

A recent Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) report said the telecommunications industry had recorded a 34.1 % increase in costs in the first quarter of 2021, with costs rising from Z$7.6bn, up from Z$5.7bn recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020.