Mavetera tells postal sector to wake up

BY TAFADZWA CHINYANGANYA
The postal and courier sector must awaken from its slumber, re-strategise and innovate to become a critical engine of e-commerce, trade and business growth, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera has said.
Speaking at the inaugural Annual Postal and Courier Services Conference hosted by Business Times at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Thursday, Mavetera challenged operators to move beyond traditional mail services and reposition the sector at the heart of Zimbabwe’s emerging digital economy.
“The postal and courier sector must awaken from its slumber, re-strategise and innovate,” Mavetera said.
She said the industry needed to rebuild services that customers could trust and businesses could depend on, arguing that reliable postal and courier networks were essential to the expansion of e-commerce.
“Every transaction initiated on a smartphone ultimately requires physical delivery to the customer,” she said.
Mavetera said the transformation of the sector was critical as Zimbabwe prepares to implement the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the country’s development framework for 2026 to 2030.
Under NDS2, she said, the sector would be expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in digital services, logistics and market access, while expanding its contribution to economic growth.
Mavetera cited the Universal Postal Union’s Postal Development Report 2025, which ranked Zimbabwe 150th out of 180 countries, with an overall score of 38.3 against a global median of 50.8.
Zimbabwe lagged regional peers such as Kenya, South Africa and Mauritius, although the country was among those that recorded notable improvements between 2023 and 2025.
She said the figures demonstrated that economic growth alone would not automatically translate into higher postal revenues.
“Global GDP grew by about 75% between 2006 and 2023, while postal revenues increased by only about 4%,” Mavetera said, underscoring the need for operators to develop new revenue streams.
She challenged postal and courier companies to reassess their cost structures, service portfolios and customer needs while capitalising on opportunities created by e-commerce and modern logistics.
Government is also moving to establish a legal framework for digital commerce. Mavetera said the principles of the proposed e-commerce law had already been taken to Cabinet, with the Bill now being drafted by the Attorney-General’s Office.
She said Government expected to conclude the e-commerce Act by the first quarter of next year, creating an enabling framework for businesses and courier operators to participate more effectively in digital commerce.
Mavetera said postal outlets should be transformed into access points for digital commerce and government services, particularly in rural areas where limited digital skills and connectivity continue to constrain participation in the digital economy.
“Under NDS2, the proportion of digitally enabled postal and courier outlets is expected to form part of the sector’s performance indicators,” she said.
She gave operators six months to demonstrate tangible improvements in online booking, electronic payments, parcel tracking, customer notifications and electronic proof of delivery, while encouraging greater adoption of artificial intelligence.
Customers, she said, should be able to track parcels digitally without repeatedly contacting different offices.
Mavetera also called for stronger partnerships between postal operators, telecommunications companies, technology developers and payment providers to create interconnected digital services.
Beyond domestic deliveries, she said postal and courier networks should become a route to market for Zimbabwean businesses by helping small enterprises package, warehouse, collect and deliver goods to domestic and international customers.
Regional routes should also be developed through partnerships that give Zimbabwean products dependable access to external markets, with performance measured through business customers, repeat shipments, delivery times and service costs.
Mavetera challenged industry players to develop a joint implementation project within 90 days, covering investment, operational reforms and partnerships aligned with NDS2.
She said the transformation would require investment in workforce development, equipment renewal and business continuity, while partnerships with training institutions and technology companies would help equip employees with the skills required by modern logistics.
Speaking at the same event, AB Communications Group Managing Director Engineer Jeremiah Munembe said the postal industry must move beyond its traditional delivery role and develop new business models that support the growth of digital commerce.

He challenged industry players to assess whether the country’s existing postal networks could be transformed into the logistics infrastructure needed to connect businesses with customers across Zimbabwe.

“Can the postal networks become the logistics backbone of Zimbabwe’s growing e-commerce economy?” he asked.

Engineer Munembe said the industry needed to reposition itself from a conventional delivery service into a strategic enabler of Zimbabwe’s digital economy, leveraging its nationwide infrastructure to capture emerging opportunities in e-commerce and digital trade.