Zimbabwe’s Internet Revolution: From Lagging Signals to Sky-High Satellites
In 2000 Zimbabwe’s internet penetration was about 0.3%, rising to around 15% by 2011. The first ISPs were Data Control & Systems in 1994 and MWEB in 1995, with ZISPA counting nearly 30 ISPs by the 2000s. By early 2023 there were over 14 million active SIMs, roughly 85% of Zimbabwe’s population. Median mobile download speed in 2023 was 10.9 Mbps. Starlink received a license in May 2024 and went live in Zimbabwe by September 2024, with starter kits priced around $350 (sometimes $170) and unlimited data at $30/month. Econet launched Zimbabwe’s first 5G sites in 2022, with NetOne announcing