Company: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Country: Zimbabwe
Sector: Wireless Telecommunications
CEO: Not publicly listed
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: No. 2 Msasa, Harare, Zimbabwe
Founded: 1993 (incorporated); commercial mobile operations began July 1998
Valuation/Revenue: $391.9m market value (African Business Top 250, 2025); peak market cap ~US$3.2bn in August 2018, later ~ZWL7.07 trillion (~US$785m) by January 2024
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe’s largest telecommunications operator, providing mobile voice, data and mobile-money services (including the widely used EcoCash platform) to more than 11.7 million subscribers, giving it over 70% market share in Zimbabwe’s telecom sector. Founded by entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa and listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange since 1998, the company has weathered severe currency instability that has caused its market value to swing dramatically over the past decade.
What Does Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Do?
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe operates Zimbabwe’s largest mobile network, providing voice, SMS and data connectivity alongside its EcoCash mobile-money and payments platform, which is widely used across Zimbabwe for person-to-person transfers, merchant payments and financial inclusion services in a market where formal banking penetration has historically been limited. The company reported 11,782,975 mobile subscriptions as of the second quarter of 2025.
How Old Is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
The company was incorporated in 1993 but only began commercial mobile operations in July 1998, following a protracted legal battle with the Zimbabwean government over telecom-licensing rights — a struggle publicly associated with founder Strive Masiyiwa. It listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in September 1998, at the time described as “the youngest ZSE Initial Public Offering in its history.”
Who Owns Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe was founded by Zimbabwean entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa, who built the company (and its later pan-African and global Econet-related ventures) after a lengthy legal dispute to secure Zimbabwe’s first private mobile licence. At listing in 1998 the company had 10% foreign ownership; a detailed current shareholder breakdown was not independently re-verified through live research in this session.
Is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Publicly Traded?
Yes. Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has been listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange since September 1998, and is one of the exchange’s largest and most heavily traded counters given its dominant position in Zimbabwe’s telecom sector.
How Big Is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
The company’s market capitalisation peaked at around US$3.2 billion in August 2018, before Zimbabwe’s severe currency and inflation crisis eroded its Zimbabwe-dollar-denominated value; by January 2024 its market cap was reported at roughly ZWL 7.07 trillion, then equivalent to approximately US$785 million. According to African Business magazine’s Top 250 Companies in Africa (2025), the company had a market value of approximately $391.9 million, ranking 286th among Africa’s largest companies — a figure that reflects the extreme currency volatility affecting Zimbabwe-dollar and USD conversions of ZSE-listed companies’ values in recent years.
Who Is the CEO of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
Current day-to-day executive leadership could not be independently verified through live research in this session; Strive Masiyiwa is the company’s founder and has historically served in a chairman/executive-chairman capacity across the wider Econet group of companies, though his precise current title at the Zimbabwe-listed entity specifically was not confirmed this session.
Where Is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Headquartered?
The company’s head office is located at No. 2 Msasa, Harare, Zimbabwe.
How Does Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Compare to Its Competitors?
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s main domestic rivals are state-owned NetOne and Telecel Zimbabwe, but Econet’s roughly 70%-plus market share means it faces limited effective competitive pressure in the mobile segment domestically; its EcoCash mobile-money platform similarly dominates Zimbabwe’s digital-payments landscape ahead of bank-led alternatives.
How Do I Contact or Apply for a Job at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
No independently verified official website URL, careers page, LinkedIn company page or public contact email could be confirmed through live research in this session.
Links
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Q: Who founded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
A: Zimbabwean entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa.
Q: What is EcoCash?
A: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s mobile-money and payments platform, widely used across Zimbabwe.
Q: Is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe publicly traded?
A: Yes, on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange since September 1998.
Q: How big is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe?
A: African Business magazine’s Top 250 (2025) valued it at approximately $391.9 million; its market cap peaked near $3.2 billion in 2018 before Zimbabwe’s currency crisis eroded that value.
Q: How many subscribers does Econet Wireless Zimbabwe have?
A: Approximately 11.78 million as of Q2 2025, over 70% of Zimbabwe’s mobile market.
Q: Where is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe headquartered?
A: Harare, Zimbabwe.