Zimbabwe Records 29% Growth in Starlink Users, Reaching 40,146

Starlink’s user base in Zimbabwe continues to expand, with the latest data showing an increase from 30,907 users in the first quarter of 2025 to 40,146 in the second quarter, marking a 29.98% rise over the period. According to the latest performance report by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), there has been consistent growth in VSAT subscriptions, which Starlink falls under. Since its introduction in September 2024, VSAT subscriptions have continued to rise steadily, reflecting a 500% increase within the first four months of Starlink’s operations in the country.

Notably, the latest statistics also highlight Starlink’s growing dominance in Zimbabwe’s fixed Internet market. SpaceX’s satellite internet service reported a 22.54% market share, ranking second only to Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which leads with 62.44%. This underscores Starlink’s strong market presence and rising demand, surpassing long-established Internet Service Providers such as TelOne and Telecontract, whose combined market share now falls below Starlink’s despite its recent entry into the market. Further statistics reveal that Starlink’s fixed Internet traffic stood at 83.94 petabytes, making a substantial contribution to the country’s total international Internet bandwidth capacity.

Additional analysis indicates a decline in active data subscriptions across several technology categories, including Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), WiMAX, and fibre. This trend suggests a gradual shift from legacy broadband technologies towards the high-speed, reliable Internet services offered by Starlink. The surge in demand has been particularly pronounced in urban areas, where strong uptake has led to limited capacity and temporary unavailability of new user activations in major cities such as Harare and Bulawayo. Since these technologies are largely concentrated in urban areas, this has created a dynamic competitive landscape, highlighting the growing convergence between traditional fixed broadband providers and emerging satellite operators.

Zimbabwe Ranks Among Africa’s Fastest-Growing Starlink Markets

The rapid uptake of Starlink in Zimbabwe reflects a trend observed in other key African markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda, where subscriber numbers surged shortly after the service’s introduction. In comparison, average user growth rates in these countries have ranged from about 250% to over 1,000%, a pattern now closely mirrored in Zimbabwe, where subscriptions have risen by nearly 900% since launch. This growth can also be attributed to several government initiatives that have adopted Starlink for use in key sectors such as health and education, thereby providing affordable, high-speed Internet to support improved service delivery.

Subsequently, these surging growth rates tend to stabilise over time, reflecting an S-curve adoption pattern, where initial enthusiasm and unmet connectivity demand drive rapid early uptake before settling into a more sustainable growth trajectory. This model has also been observed in other African markets following Starlink’s entry, indicating that while Zimbabwe’s current growth may gradually stabilise, the service is likely to maintain a strong, expanding user base as coverage widens and capacity constraints are lifted.