- AI now central to Econet’s operations, enabling personalised services and deeper customer insight through usage analytics
- Network expansion continued, with 20 new sites, 10 lightweight rural base stations, and 5G extended to 100 more location
- Innovation, particularly AI and FinTech integration, is positioned as a core driver of margin preservation and long-term value creation
Harare - Econet Wireless ,the country’s largest telecommunications operator leveraged AI‑powered analytics to deepen customer insight and tailor services in real time, a strategy that helped propel data traffic to more than double last year’s level while voice volumes jumped 44 % according to the latest trading update for the first quarter ended 31 May 2025.
During the quarter, Econet mordenised its network systems including ten lightweight, low‑cost base stations aimed at under‑served rural communities, commissioned twenty brand new sites in high density corridors and extended 5G coverage to a further one hundred locations nationwide.
The group said machine learning models riding on its modernised network now maps individual usage patterns at scale, enabling hyper personalised bundles and predictive offers that keep subscribers online and on‑net longer.
‘’Artificial Intelligence based applications which ride on the upgraded network are becoming core to our processes.
‘’This provides a platform for us to obtain an in-depth understanding of our customer needs including usage patterns that allow us to offer hyper-personalized services,’’ the group said.
The infrastructure push dovetailed with the AI layer to create a faster, smarter and more adaptive network one that proved indispensable as Zimbabweans shifted ever more of their work, study and entertainment online.
Against an inflationary backdrop, Group revenue in real terms held steady, buoyed by volume uptakes across every major operating line.
The Mobile Network Operations (MNO) unit the heartbeat of the business, its surging data consumption highlighting the pivotal role that broadband now plays in Zimbabwe’s digital economy and the significant untapped opportunities for long‑term value creation that lie ahead.
FinTech activities added a second growth cylinder with EcoCash, the Group’s flagship mobile‑money platform, recording a 22 % rise in active customers and a 27 % increase in transaction volumes year‑on‑year, fuelled by a dramatic 110 % leap in wallet funding.
The broader financial services portfolio mirrored that momentum, life insurer EcoSure grew policies by 43 % while the short term line Moovah expanded its policyholder base 69 %, and medical‑aid arm Maisha saw membership soar 92 % highlighting that digital distribution and micro‑pricing are widening access to cover once deemed out of reach for many households.
Looking ahead, the group remains optimistic betting on the same powerful mix of AI, network capacity and digital finance innovation to preserve margins and unlock new revenue pools. Continued subscriber growth, optimised pricing models and deeper mobile money penetration are expected to sustain the upward trajectory, while a pipeline of value‑added services many informed by AI‑driven customer insights aims to further diversify income.
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