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Demand for Starlink in Zimbabwe is overwhelming capacity

Traditional internet in Zimbabwe is slow, unreliable, and expensive. Elon Musk’s satellite service sold out within weeks of launching in the country.

“In the long run, it’s quite cheap for small businesses and residential customers that were subscribing to local network operators and ISPs,” Rashwhit Mukundu, Africa adviser at International Media Support, a press freedom organization, told Rest of World. Jacob Mtisi, CEO of Hamsole, an information and communication technology company in Harare, predicted that local internet operators may retain urban customers due to their “robust infrastructure,” but that Starlink’s impact will be greater in rural and underserved regions. Mtisi told Rest of World that local operators and ISPs need to adapt to the competitive landscape by improving their service quality, investing in infrastructure, and exploring partnerships with satellite providers.

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