The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has given its formal assent to a substantial reduction in mobile data tariffs implemented by Orange Botswana, a move that is expected to provide immediate financial relief to households strained by persistent inflationary pressures and the high cost of living.
This sweeping overhaul of the tariff structure, regarded as one of the most comprehensive market interventions in recent history, stems directly from the findings of a detailed pricing and costing study conducted by the regulator and concluded in May 2025. Given that Botswana has historically contended with some of the highest mobile data costs in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, according to a 2017 policy brief by Research ICT Africa, these changes signal a decisive regulatory shift towards promoting greater accessibility and pricing clarity within the telecommunications sector.
The restructuring efforts are particularly focused on the short-term and daily bundles, the purchasing pattern most prevalent among low-income earners, students, and those working within the burgeoning gig economy who rely on small, frequent data top-ups. For instance, Orange has implemented a 60 per cent drop in the price of its 100MB daily bundle, reducing the cost from P5.00 to P2.00, instantly positioning it as one of the most affordable entry-level packages on the market. Furthermore, Orange, which commands the largest share of mobile subscriptions in the country, has rationalised its offering by phasing out micro-bundles (such as 25MB and 500MB) in favour of higher-value packages, effectively increasing the megabytes received for every Pula spent.
This strategic recalibration of product offerings extends to medium-term options as well. The former 1GB, two-day bundle has been withdrawn and replaced with a significantly more generous 2.5GB option at the same price of P20.00. Similarly, the 500MB daily bundle, previously priced at P10.00, has been substituted with a 300MB bundle costing P5.00, clearly illustrating a push toward volume-based value across all validity periods. These adjustments are designed to appeal to heavier data users while making the initial point of access far cheaper for the majority of prepaid subscribers, who constitute over 96 per cent of the total mobile market base, as confirmed in a public release by BOCRA.
BOCRA stated that the approval directly fulfils its statutory mandate to maintain a vibrant, competitive telecommunications sector and ensure that consumers benefit from services that are both high-quality and financially accessible. The regulator noted that this retail price reduction follows an earlier directive issued in June 2025 that instructed all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to submit revised retail tariffs aligned with the study’s findings. This intervention is expected to enhance information symmetry and foster effective competition, which is crucial given that the market is dominated by three main operators and has previously been noted for its “dull” competitive dynamics, as observed by Research ICT Africa.
Crucially, the regulator’s action was not limited to retail tariffs alone. BOCRA also concurrently engaged with Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet), the nation’s largest wholesale provider, to revise its wholesale offerings to MNOs and other service providers. This two-pronged approach—reducing wholesale costs and directing retail price ceilings—is fundamental to lowering the overall cost structure within the industry, enabling MNOs to pass on savings to end-users without compromising network investments. Additionally, the mobile termination rate, the tariff operators charge each other for carrying voice calls, was reduced from 13 thebe to 9 thebe from July 2025, with a scheduled glide path to reach 2 thebe by 2027, further suppressing network-related costs.
The sector’s affordability improvements are particularly timely as mobile data revenues already account for the largest share of the Botswana telecom market, a pool dominated by mobile data due to increasing smartphone diffusion and competitive bundles, according to Mordor Intelligence. While high energy and operating costs have historically kept tariffs elevated, these regulatory actions are a necessary step towards promoting digital inclusion and aligning the communications sector with the broader Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, recognising Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) as key enablers for other economic sectors.
Going forward, the regulator remains committed to the continuous monitoring of market dynamics to prevent any subsequent price distortions and ensure fair competitive practices are upheld, thereby safeguarding the consumer gains achieved through this latest tariff overhaul. The long-term goal is to sustain a trend of declining costs per gigabyte, enabling heavier usage and supporting the country’s ambitious digital transformation agenda.