Six Southern African countries are slashing mobile roaming charges by as much as 98.6% as part of a regional push to make cross-border communication cheaper and support digital trade.
As per Business Insider Africa, the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) said the initiative brings together Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe under the One Network Area (ONA) framework, which aims to harmonize roaming tariffs and make telecom services more affordable across borders.
Under the arrangement, telecom operators have lowered roaming rates for voice calls, SMS and mobile data when customers travel between the participating countries. BOCRA said the reductions range from 10% to 98.6%, depending on the type of service.
Regulators emphasized that the reforms focus on reducing mobile data costs, reflecting the growing importance of data for digital services, online commerce and financial inclusion across Africa.
Major operators participating in the initiative include Orange Botswana, Mascom Wireless and Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, along with regional players such as MTN Group, Vodacom Group, Airtel Africa and Econet Wireless.
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In some cases, the reductions are substantial. For example, roaming data rates between Botswana and Zambia have fallen by up to 94%, and receiving SMS messages is now free across all participating countries.
The initiative builds on an earlier agreement between Botswana and Namibia, which became the first countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to introduce reduced and harmonized roaming rates in August 2024.
Regional policymakers said lowering telecom costs could boost cross-border trade, business travel and digital services across Southern Africa, where mobile networks are often the main gateway to the internet.
The effort mirrors a similar programme in the East African Community, where countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have implemented a One Network Area initiative over the past decade to reduce roaming costs and encourage regional trade.
SADC regulators said the southern African programme is expected to expand gradually to other member states as governments work to create a more integrated regional digital market.
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Image Credit: Business Insider Africa
