The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (Authority) has published its 2024 Mid-Year Market Report, highlighting significant growth and developments in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The report outlines notable progress and advancements across various industry segments.
Some of the key features from the report are outlined below:
a) Subscriber Growth: Active mobile cellular subscriptions reached 21.9 million by mid-2024, an 8.9% increase from 20.0 million in mid-2023. Internet subscriptions also saw significant growth, rising 10.2% to 12.6 million from the previous year. These improvements are attributed to expanded coverage and growing interest in digital platforms such as mobile money and social media.
b) Mobile Money Expansion: Mobile money services saw remarkable growth, with transaction values increasing by 12% to ZMW222.8 billion from ZMW199.5 billion, and transaction volumes rising by 44% to 1.4 billion from 976 million between mid-2023 and mid-2024.
c) Increased Licensing: The number of valid ICT licenses grew from 89 to 93, while postal and courier licenses increased by 28% from 88 to 113 over the same period. This growth is largely attributed to the 55% reduction in the license fees for postal and courier services as well as the overall favourable investment climate in the sector.
d) Infrastructure Developments: ZICTA’s Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) initiated the construction of 51 new telecommunication towers and the relocation of 40 existing ones. Operators also made significant investment in 5G infrastructure.
e) Usage and Revenue Trends: Domestic and international call traffic showed modest growth, while data usage decreased slightly by 4%. However, overall sector revenues grew to ZMW 2.5 billion, with data revenues contributing 46.3% of the total revenue.
Outlook for the Second Half of 2024
The ICT sector is expected to maintain its growth trajectory, driven by continued infrastructure investments and the government’s digital transformation agenda. Some of the key regulatory initiatives that are expected to conclude in the second half of 2024 include the development of a national postcode system and a cost-of-service study for equitable wholesale access arrangements.
However, challenges such as electricity load shedding and exchange rate pressures may impact pricing, adoption, and utilisation rates.
For more details, please refer to the full report available on:
https://www.zicta.zm/media/publications
Issued By:
Hanford Chaaba (Mr.)
Manager Corporate Communications
Press Contact:
Phone: +260 21 1 378200
Email: corporatecommunications@zicta.zm Website: www.zicta.zm
Social media: zictaZM
