The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has announced that Namibia and Botswana have agreed to reduce roaming charges, with cuts of up to over 60% starting in August 2024.
The new rates will lower costs for calls, SMS and data, with reductions reaching up to 94% for data and 89% for calls. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) have told Telecom Namibia (TN Mobile) and Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) and Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTC), Mascom Wireless Botswana (Mascom) and Orange Botswana (Orange) to slash roaming prices.
Observer Money asked Shoki Kandjimi, Senior Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to elaborate on the roaming agreement with Botswana.
Observer Money (OM): Does Namibia plan to reduce roaming fees with countries apart from Botswana? Are there such plans for Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa and the rest of SADC?
Shoki Kandjimi (SK): Following the successful agreement with the Republic of Botswana on harmonising roaming tariffs between the two countries, Namibia has begun talks with other SADC Member states such as Angola, Malawi and Zambia. Namibia is open for discussions with other countries to align with a resolution from the June 2023 meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for ICT, which encouraged member states to harmonise their roaming charges.
OM: What are the advantages of slashing roaming prices with neighbouring countries?
SK: This progressive decision by the Southern Africa bloc’s Ministers responsible for ICT will boost cross-border communication and strengthen ties between member states. Moreover, reducing roaming costs marks a new chapter in the digital transformation efforts of SADC countries by making communication more affordable and fostering greater economic opportunities, especially for businesses and travellers.
OM: What is SADC’s position on roaming charges across countries?
SK: In June 2023, SADC Ministers responsible for Information and Communication Technology met and decided to encourage member states to harmonise their roaming charges. SADC’s position has been to reduce roaming charges to increase possibilities for trade in the southern bloc, reduce billing costs and enhance access to information and communications for member states. Additionally, mobile users should not face shocking bills when returning home from either country after roaming.
OM: How does Namibia compare to the rest of the SADC region in terms of mobile and internet fees?
SK: Mobile and data charges are currently high as compared to some SADC countries and Namibia through CRAN is investigating and exploring ways how we can reduce data rates for instance. The harmonisation of data roaming charges with SADC countries is a testament to our commitment to reducing mobile charges between our neighbouring countries. Recently, we reduced the roaming charges between Namibia and Botswana by 60% demonstrating our commitment towards boosting cross-border communication at affordable tariffs.
