Botswana and Five SADC Countries Slash Roaming Tariffs under One Network Area Framework

The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)  has announced a major collaboration between Botswana and five other SADC Member States—Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—to substantially reduce and harmonize mobile roaming tariffs under the One Network Area (ONA) framework. The initiative builds on the successful implementation of reduced roaming rates in Botswana and Namibia in August 2024 and aims to create a seamless regional communications environment while promoting affordability and regional integration.

The ONA framework addresses the challenge of duplicative regulatory processes by enabling cost-reflective pricing and mutual recognition of licensing arrangements across participating countries. It emphasizes the reduction of data prices, recognizing the critical role of data services in driving digital transformation. The initiative has resulted in significant reductions in data, voice, and SMS roaming tariffs, with some price cuts ranging between 10% and 98.6%, and has facilitated new bilateral roaming agreements among operators that previously did not exist.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) such as Orange Botswana, Mascom Wireless, BTC, and others have implemented the new tariffs across multiple SADC countries. For example, data roaming rates between Botswana and Zambia were reduced by up to 94%, while voice and SMS charges also saw major decreases. The initiative continues to expand, with ongoing engagements with Mozambique, and provisions for receiving SMS messages are now free across all participating countries. BOCRA’s efforts reflect Botswana’s commitment to leveraging ICT for trade, mobility, and digital inclusion across the Southern African region.