The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) says Namibians travelling to Botswana will benefit from a significant reduction in roaming charges, with cuts of up to over 60% starting in August 2024.
This adjustment follows negotiations between Namibia’s MICT and Botswana’s Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology.
MICT Executive Director Audrin Mathe said the new rates will lower costs for calls, SMS and data, with reductions reaching up to 94% for data and 89% for calls.
“The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) have officially directed the two countries’ Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) namely, Telecom Namibia (TN Mobile) and Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) and Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTC), Mascom Wireless Botswana (Mascom) and Orange Botswana (Orange) to slash roaming prices,” he said.
The adjustment, implemented by mobile operators MTC, TN Mobile, BTC, Mascom, and Orange, aims to make cross-border communication more affordable.
“This bold step forward in reducing roaming costs marks a new chapter in the digital transformation efforts of both Namibia and Botswana. By making communication more affordable, the two countries are not only strengthening bilateral relations but also fostering greater economic opportunities, especially for businesses and travellers,” said the ED.
Mathe noted that this initiative is a testament to the MICT’s commitment to delivering affordable communication services to all Namibians and it will have a positive impact on trade, tourism, and cross-border connectivity.
“The reduced roaming charges are part of a broader push to harmonise mobile communication costs across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. As Namibia and Botswana take the lead, MICT anticipates that this initiative will pave the way for more regional agreements aimed at cutting mobile costs throughout the SADC region,” he noted.
He added that for Namibians who frequently travel to Botswana for business, work, family, or leisure, these reduced roaming rates are a game changer as calling home, using data, and staying connected while on the move will no longer come with exorbitant costs.
As part of this for MTC, calls within Botswana dropped by 75%, from BWP7.28 to BWP1.85 per minute, while calls to Namibia decreased by 64%, from BWP10.48 to BWP3.80.
Receiving calls saw an 89% reduction, going from BWP2.81 to BWP0.30, and sending an SMS was reduced by 84%, from BWP1.85 to BWP0.30.
