Zimbabwean mobile operators, Net One and Telecel are failing to provide customers with the much needed network and recharge cards-airtime, raising fears of a possible Telecomms crisis.

Telecel & NetOne Can't Keep Up!

Recharge cards- popularly referred to as airtime are also hard to come by as wholesalers have run out of stock. Vendors have since engaged in selling the airtime on the parallel market.

A Telecel sales official in Harare says the company and its responsible parties have run out of material to print recharge cards.

“For example, our supplier ceased to sell to us the paper required for the printing, hence the severe recharge card shortage in the market, among other things,” he said.

Of the country’s three mobile operators, Econet is currently better in terms of service provision. The Strive Masiyiwa owned firm is now the nation's largest cellphone network company having captured 43 percent of the market share. Econet Wireless also operates networks in Lesotho, Botswana, and Burundi, Nigeria and New Zealand.

The government especially through various groups and institutions has a stake in both Net One and Telecel.

However, the official could not disclose the reasons associated with these developments citing ‘security’ reasons.

Telecel subscribers cite recharge cards are not available in supermarkets, shops and other relevant outlets.

Leo Mugabe, nephew of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe was also reported to be interested in taking over the firm using dubious means.

A survey revealed even airtime vendors do not have the recharge cards in stock. The vendors have now resorted to increasing the price of NetOne and Telecel recharge cards.

For example, a $1, 5 million recharge card is being sold at $2 million or $2, 5 million, depending on the vendor.

One Telecel customer said it is not fair for the vendors to take advantage of the unavailability of airtime and reap off customers.

“To make matters worst, nothing has been heard from the service provider as to what is really happening or rather what went wrong,” he said.

Telecoms operators have for long pressed the government to allow them charge more appealing rates so they can stay in business.

Last week, operators in the industry hiked charges by more than 500 percent.

NetOne customers indicate they are not able to recharge, if they happen to come across airtime.

Musa Moyo says it has been more than two weeks now and she cannot load any airtime in her phone.

“After punching the recharge key or numbers, an error appears on the phone screen,” she said.

Net One was the first cellular network operator in Zimbabwe based on the Global System for Mobile Communications. Currently, it is the second largest cellular company in the country boasting of over 200 000 subscribers.

All mobile operators also cite the consistent power cuts by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), as hindering service provision.

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