Mobile telephony rises

Mobile subscriptions in the country have begun rising after a slump at the beginning of last year, with about 3.7 million lines active as at December 2020. Figures released this week by data agency, Statistics Botswana, show that the number of mobile subscriptions fell from a historic peak of 3.89 million in December 2019, to 3.66 million by the end of March 2020. The numbers dipped further at the end of June to 3.62 million, before strengthening in the third and fourth quarters of the year. The latest trends are in line with what the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) calls ‘natural churn’ or a gradual reduction in the numbers of customers a business has. The regulator has said after 23 years of cellular services in Botswana, the market is reaching maturity and it is to be expected that uptake of subscriptions would lessen in future unless there is a strategic intervention by the industry aimed at increasing demand for new subscriptions.