Regional data tariffs lowered
Mbongeni Mguni | Wednesday March 18, 2026 14:31
In a statement, BOCRA officials said the One Network Area (ONA) framework would expand beyond Botswana and Namibia to include Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The ONA initiative is aligned to efforts by SADC member states to reduce and harmonise roaming charges across the region, and it is intended to progressively expand to include other SADC Member States.
Recognising the critical role of Information and Communication Technologies in promoting trade, investment, mobility and digital inclusion, ONA seeks to harmonise roaming tariffs to ensure cost-reflective pricing and create a seamless communications environment across participating countries.
The initiative places emphasis on the reduction of data prices, given the vital role played by data services in the digital transformation of any economy. SADC first agreed on reducing roaming tariffs as far back as 2008, with a timeline given of 2018.
This was in recognition of the fact that regional travellers face a markup in connectivity of up to 200% when they use roaming services in SADC.