Business Reporter
PEOPLE centered Mobile Network Operator, NetOne has once again rocked the telecoms space after launching the branded Freedom Bundles, further sustaining the pro-people sensitive business approach tilted towards giving subscribers more flexibility to talk, text and browse without straining household or business budgets.
The new offering builds on NetOne’s long-running Khuluma 24/7 package, a product that had become closely associated with the operator’s value-for-money positioning in the local market.
Rather than replacing it outright, NetOne has expanded it: the Freedom Bundles retain the pricing accessibility that made the original package popular, while layering in SMS and data allowances that were previously sold separately.
The result is a single, more rounded package pitched at users who increasingly expect a phone plan to cover more than voice calls. Pricing starts at US$0.20 and rises to US$12, a range the company frames as designed to let customers choose an option that matches both their communication habits and what they can afford — a notable consideration in a market where disposable income varies sharply between urban and rural users, and between salaried workers and informal traders.
Alongside the Freedom Bundles, NetOne has also revamped its existing Dollar-A-Day (DAD) product, repositioning it as a standalone daily package. For US$1, subscribers get a bundle that combines:
• 85 on-net minutes
• 5 cross-net minutes
• 70 off-peak minutes
• 160 total minutes
• 15 SMSs
The emphasis on a low, flat daily price point speaks to a segment of the market that budgets communication spend day by day rather than committing to weekly or monthly packages — a common pattern among small traders, commuters and lower-income households.
NetOne has framed the launch as more than a routine product update. In its messaging around the release, the company explicitly ties affordable connectivity to Zimbabwe’s broader Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) targets, arguing that access to communication services underpins economic growth, education, healthcare delivery, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship.
That framing reflects a pattern increasingly common among telecom operators across the region: positioning connectivity products not simply as consumer offerings, but as infrastructure for participation in the digital economy.
Whether it’s a student accessing study materials, a farmer checking market prices, or an entrepreneur reaching customers beyond their immediate community, the company’s pitch is that cheaper, more comprehensive bundles remove one of the practical barriers to using mobile services for more than basic calls.
NetOne says the new packages are designed to be accessible through existing, familiar channels, including:
• Dialling *171# and following the on-screen prompts
• Purchasing through the OneMoney mobile money platform
• Using airtime or electronic recharge channels
• Visiting NetOne shops, franchises or authorised agents across the country
The multiple access points reflect an operator trying to reduce friction at the point of purchase, recognising that convenience of access can matter as much as price when it comes to subscriber uptake.
The launch comes as Zimbabwean mobile operators continue to compete heavily on affordability, in a market where multiple SIM ownership and prepaid, pay-as-you-go usage patterns remain the norm for most subscribers.
Bundled offers that combine voice, SMS and data at low price points have become a standard competitive lever, allowing operators to differentiate less on network coverage — which has become broadly comparable across major players — and more on how much everyday value a customer gets for a limited budget.
For NetOne specifically, positioning itself around the language of “freedom” — freedom to connect, to access information, to reach customers, to stay in touch with family — is a deliberate attempt to make an otherwise commoditised pricing update feel aligned with a larger promise: that affordable connectivity is not just a telecoms transaction, but a tool that shapes everyday opportunity for students, farmers, entrepreneurs and families across the country.
