The fourth quarter of 2025 was marked by a significant contraction in the postal and courier sector, as the latest Sector Performance Report from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) revealed a startling 19.09% decline in volumes compared to the previous quarter. The report underscores a troubling trend in the number of postal and courier outlets, reflecting the sector’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing telecommunication landscape.
The fourth quarter of 2025 witnessed a sharp decline in the postal an courier industry, with the latest Sector Performance Report from the Postal and (POTRAZ) reporting a concerning 19. 09% decrease in volumes. Notably, the total number of items handled dropped significantly, from 358 784 in the previous quarter to 291 106 in the current one. This downturn is further exacerbated by a reduction in physical infrastructure, as the sector witnessed a shrinking number of Postal and postal courier outlets, with the number of outlets operating down from 491 to 48 in the same period.
The financials of the sector are also suffering. Revenue for licensed postal and courier operators contracted by 2.3% despite a continued rise in operating costs, which increased by 6.8%. This has given rise to a concerning trend in the sector’s financial health.
As the report notes, “Cost to income ratio a licensed Postal and courier operators worsened by 15.0 percentage points from 107.5% recorded in the previous quarter to 117.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025”.
This ratio indicates that for each dollar earned, operators are spending substantially more than they generate, highlighting a critical sustainability crisis for traditional providers.
The key factor contributing is the swift shift towards digital alternatives. Postal volumes are declining while mobile data traffic has increased by 11.27%,driven by the growth of apps such as WhatsApp (now accounting 20% of all mobile data traffic). As POTRAZ notes in its 2026 outlook.
“The 2026 outlook for Zimbabwe’s postal and telecommunication sector is characterised by a swift shift towards a more data-driven ecosystem. This will likely pave the way for an expected increase in both data and digital services”. Read the report.
For the postal and courier sector to survive, the report implies that there must be a quick shift to this new digital reality, where e-commerce and logistique will eventually take over from the letter based communication.
