The government of Zimbabwe is seeking international investors to help finance a $200 million telecommunications satellite project aimed at strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure and expanding nationwide connectivity. The plan was announced by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, as reported by The Herald.
According to Ncube, the proposed satellite will support Zimbabwe’s growing digital economy, particularly the business and knowledge process outsourcing (BKPO) sector, which relies heavily on reliable broadband and telecommunications infrastructure. “We are trying to raise over $200 million to support the launch of the telecom satellite, which will improve our connectivity and strengthen our ICT infrastructure,” he said during the unveiling of the BKPO operational framework.
The project forms part of broader efforts to modernise Zimbabwe’s communications ecosystem and improve internet access across the country. Government data shows mobile data traffic has increased by more than 19 percent, while the country now has over 14.5 million mobile data subscriptions, highlighting rising demand for digital services.
Zimbabwe has already made progress in space technology through earlier satellite launches, including ZimSat-1 in 2022 and ZimSat-2 in 2024, and officials say the new telecommunications satellite will further enhance connectivity, television broadcasting and digital services across the country.
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