In anticipation of the entry of a new player in the market, mobile operators engaged in price war leading to a more than 70% decrease in data prices between the first quarter of 2018 and that of 2019. Despite data prices in Zambia being significantly lower than in other African countries, they remain unaffordable to the majority, with only 14% of the Zambian population using the Internet.
The USD0.03 social media tax introduced by the Government of Zambia in 2018 will have a negative impact on consumers and affordability of data services in Zambia. The USD0.03 tax will increase the price of data in Zambia by 33% making it even more costly and inaccessible to the poor.
