The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has directed all mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country to revise their tariffs following a comprehensive study on the true cost of delivering telecom services.
Effective July 1, 2025, mobile and fixed termination rates—the fees telecoms charge each other for connecting calls—will drop significantly from P0.13 to P0.09 per minute, and continue falling annually until they hit P0.02 by July 2027.
BOCRA’s move is part of an industry-wide pricing overhaul aimed at promoting affordability, transparency, and competition in Botswana’s telecoms sector.
Retail Tariffs Also Under Review
In addition to wholesale pricing changes, BOCRA has instructed operators to file new consumer retail tariffs—covering services such as voice calls, SMS, and mobile data—that reflect the outcomes of the costing study. These revised prices must be submitted and approved by September 2025.
The regulator also released the current ceiling retail tariffs charged by BTC, Mascom Wireless, and Orange Botswana to help consumers understand existing market rates. These include:
- Voice (peak): P1.34 (BTC), P1.32 (Mascom), P1.37 (Orange)
- SMS: P0.30 (BTC), P0.20–P0.40 (Mascom), P0.25 (Orange)
- Data per MB: P1.00 (BTC), P0.97 (Mascom), P0.99 (Orange)
BOCRA says the publication of current and future tariffs is essential to enhancing consumer choice, market efficiency, and affordability. “This regulatory intervention is vital in helping customers to make informed choices,” the Authority stated.
The move comes amid growing pressure to lower telecom costs in Botswana, especially as digital services become increasingly central to economic activity and everyday life.
BOCRA has pledged to continue monitoring the market to ensure that communication services remain affordable, accessible, and high-quality.