Telecoms
ZAMBIA TELECOMS SECTOR KEY FIGURES 2025, GDP, GROWTH, PENETRATION
| Info & Comm. GDP Share | Sector Growth 2025 | Mobile Penetration | Share of Tax Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.12% | +6.4% | >100% | 20% |
Information and communication contributed 3.12% to Zambia’s GDP in 2025 and grew 6.4% in real terms, as the ICT sector’s own regulator described it as the fastest-growing in the economy, accounting for 20% of total tax revenue with mobile penetration already exceeding 100%.
The figures come from the inaugural PwC Zambia Telecommunications Report 2025, launched by the Ministry of Technology and Science in September 2025, which also found mobile money transaction values approaching ZMW 4 billion and internet connections approaching 14 million.
Sector Size
Information and communication contributed 3.12% of Zambia’s nominal GDP in 2025, or ZMW 22.66 billion of the ZMW 725.6 billion total, up from ZMW 20.19 billion in 2024[1]. The sector grew 6.4% in real terms over the year[1]. Separately, the PwC Zambia Telecommunications Report 2025 put the sector’s contribution to total tax revenue at 20%, describing it as the fastest-growing sector in the Zambian economy on that broader measure[2].
Network Penetration
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority’s Director General told the report’s launch event that mobile penetration exceeds 100% and internet connections approach 14 million, while the value of mobile money transactions is approaching ZMW 4 billion[2].
Employment and Local Ownership
Major local companies account for 53% of the telecommunications workforce, which the report frames as evidence of job creation and economic stability within the sector[2]. Zamtel has deployed solar energy solutions for load management, providing alternative power to its network during load shedding and improving operational efficiency[2].
Digital Infrastructure and Inclusion
Government has prioritised communication towers in underserved and unserved areas to strengthen e-governance and digital services, enabling farmers to access markets and weather updates, supporting delivery of programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer and the Farmer Input Support Programme, and expanding mobile money usage, which already underpins 55.0% of financial inclusion[3]. Since 2023, Government has deployed 525 Starlink kits to 230 government departments, all 156 constituency offices, 109 post offices, 23 youth resource centres and seven other public institutions, and plans, with cooperating partners, to extend Starlink connectivity to 400 health facilities under the Solar for Health project[3]. The Government Wide Area Network has connected 93 local authorities, 79 district administration offices and 29 schools, for a cumulative 438 sites, with solar energy installed in all 116 councils to protect equipment from power outages[3].
Challenges and Policy Framework
The Minister of Technology and Science pointed to energy supply constraints, regulatory gaps and cybersecurity threats as the sector’s main challenges[2]. The Ministry’s strategic priorities include prioritising 5G deployment to support artificial intelligence applications, strengthening cyber resilience against fraud, shifting operators from competing tower deployments toward shared, co-located infrastructure to extend coverage further, and accelerating revision of the legal framework governing ICT to keep pace with the sector’s growth[2]. Solar-powered communication towers are already in use in Ngabwe and Lavushimanda as part of this infrastructure push[2]. The sector’s policy direction is set by the National ICT Policy 2023, whose vision is “an integrated ICT ecosystem for Zambia’s digital economy,” pursued through six objectives: increasing availability, accessibility and usage of ICT products and services; promoting e-services in the public and private sectors; enhancing human development and ICT skills; ensuring a safe and secure ICT environment; promoting ICT research, innovation and entrepreneurship; and strengthening the policy, legal and institutional framework[4].
Investment Opportunities
The government’s own priorities point directly at where new investment is wanted: 5G network build-out, shared tower infrastructure that lets a single site serve multiple operators, and off-grid power solutions like solar-powered towers that keep networks running through load shedding[2]. A sector growing GDP contribution at 6.4% while already exceeding 100% mobile penetration suggests the next leg of growth is coming from data and value-added services rather than basic connectivity alone[1][2]. The continued build-out of Starlink connectivity and the Government Wide Area Network also points to a growing public-sector procurement pipeline for rural and satellite connectivity services[3].
Last Update: August 2026
