The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has announced a set of reductions to mobile service tariffs to promote affordability and support Botswana’s digital economy.
The cuts follow a costing and pricing study carried out with industry stakeholders and a regulatory directive issued in June 2025 requiring MNOs to submit revised retail tariffs.
The revisions focus on prepaid services — which make up about 96% of subscriptions — and are largest on data services, reflecting data’s critical role in digital transformation. Mascom Wireless, Orange Botswana and Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) have submitted and implemented the approved retail tariffs.
| Operator | Market share | Data (per MB) | Voice — on-net (per min) | SMS — on-net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mascom Wireless | 40% | P0.79 (↓ from P0.97 — 18.56%) | P1.30 (↓ from P1.32 — 1.52%) | P0.17 (↓ from P0.20 — 15.00%) |
| Orange Botswana | 46% | P0.69 (↓ from P0.99 — 30.30%) | P1.37 (no change) | P0.25 (no change) |
| BTC | 14% | P1.00 (no change) | P1.34 (no change) | P0.30 (no change) |
In addition to retail changes, BOCRA says termination rates have been reduced from 13 thebe to 9 thebe effective 1 July 2025, with a glide path to 2 thebe by 2027. The Authority has also engaged Bofinet to review wholesale broadband offerings, with the review expected by the end of September 2025.
BOCRA said publishing the new tariffs improves transparency, empowers consumers to shop around, and supports competition. The regulator will keep monitoring the market to ensure services remain high-quality and affordable.