Call Nation: Zimbabweans Clock 5 Billion Minutes in 3 Months

Call Nation: Zimbabweans Clock 5 Billion Minutes in 3 Months

Zimbabweans spent a massive 5.07 billion minutes on mobile voice calls in the last quarter of 2025 — despite the rise of WhatsApp and other messaging apps.

According to POTRAZ, call volumes jumped 9%, showing that traditional voice calls are still very much alive. Cheaper on-net bundles and promotions pushed more people to stay on calls longer.

Meanwhile, SMS is fading, dropping 3.5% as users shift to internet-based messaging.

Zimbabwe now has a mobile penetration rate of 107%, meaning there are more SIM cards than people, with many juggling multiple lines for better deals.

While calls are booming, data is still king:

Mobile internet usage rose 11%

Fixed internet traffic increased nearly 9%

Internet penetration reached 84.5%

Telecom companies are racing to keep up, rolling out more 5G, 4G, and 3G infrastructure, with investment in the sector more than doubling.

However, it’s bad news for traditional mail. Postal volumes dropped 19%, as digital communication continues to take over.

Bottom line: Zimbabweans are talking more than ever — but the future still belongs to data.