Mutapa Fund breathes life into Powertel Communications, orders more critical projects
Business Reporter
THE Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) has implored Powertel Communications to continue advancing critical projects following the successful completion of the landmark cross border deal with Paratus Zimbabwe.
The latest deal has seen the first phase of the cross border fiber project coming live and carrying traffic via the new high capacity digital corridor that will connect Zimbabwe to Botswana, Zambia and South Africa and the wider Paratus network across Southern Africa.
Under the arrangement, Powertel, a Mutapa Investment Fund Company (MIF) contributed its extensive national fibre backbone while Paratus, a leading pan-African telecommunications and network services provider brought its continental network reach, world-class technology, technical expertise and proven experience in building resilient telecommunications infrastructure across Africa.
So far, the section between Plumtree and Bulawayo represents the first active Paratus-connected fibre route into Zimbabwe and is an important step in building deeper regional integration, enabling world-class interconnection by linking Zimbabwe into Africa’s quality network while strengthening cross-border connectivity.
Powertel Communications managing director, Willard Nyagwande, described the latest developments as products of collaborative commitment in pursuit of better connectivity.
The MIF Head of Energy and Investment Cluster, Tinashe Yafele said the the development is a game changer for Powertel Communications.
“With an equipped capacity of 800Gbps, this project stands as a significant landmark in Zimbabwe’s digital transformation journey. This project is more than the just the deployment of fibre-optic infrastructure. It represents a strategic investment in Zimbabwe’s digital economy, regional integration and long-term economic development,” he said.
“This is a defining moment for Powertel as the project is planned, built, owned and operated by Powertel, as the licensed national carrier under POTRAZ and the telecommunications arm of ZESA. The IRU with our partner Paratus is the commercial vehicle that this project’s success rides on; that allows us to lead this corridor with the financial backing of a renowned and reputable continental partner, while retaining the operational primacy over the asset, the regulator-facing relationship and accountability to ZESA and the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Nyagwande said the IRU converts a national infrastructure ambition into a bankable, investable, replicable commercial reality. It aligns the incentives of both parties over the full economic life of the asset.
“That is precisely why this model is significant. It is the structure that has made the Plumtree-Victoria Falls corridor financeable today, and it is the same structure that will carry the Bulawayo-Livingstone, and the wider Botswana-Zimbabwe-Zambia digital spine, tomorrow,” he said.
Paratus Group Chief Commercial Officer, Martin Cox said the live deployment is yet another major step forward in delivering on the original vision of a connected regional corridor.
“When we announced the PPP and this project last year, we set out a clear vision to create the first high-capacity digital corridor linking Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Today, we are delighted that the first phase is live, carrying traffic and already delivering real, measurable progress towards that vision.
“This is about far more than fibre infrastructure. It is about building the digital foundations that enable economic growth, regional integration and improved access to world-class connectivity. By integrating Zimbabwe into the Paratus network – Africa’s quality network – we are extending the reach of our contiguous network from South Africa through Botswana and Zimbabwe into Zambia, creating resilient connectivity for businesses, service providers and communities across the region,” he said.
