Industry report on data bundle pricing
Data bundle pricing in a digital marketing era
MARKETING in the modern era now requires agencies to be updated on the latest trends of how best to advertise and market products and services.
Digital marketing means marketers need to be equipped with the right information, not only about what they are selling, but about their audience and how the product or service will be received.
Access to the Internet is, therefore, critically important to help marketers connect audiences to the product & services.
Currently, the Zambian ICT sector has a range of service providers, with varying prices in line with the corresponding data bundle package.
Data trends: Monthly bundle pricing
| Service provider | Airtel Networks Zambia Plc | MTN Zambia | Zamtel | Liquid Intelligent Technologies |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 25GB – 200 | 22GB – 200 | 26GB – 200 | 160GB – 2,295 |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 10GB – 30 | 9GB – 100 | 11GB – 100 | 100GB – 1,495 |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 5GB – 30 | 2.5GB – 50 | 5.5GB – 60 | 70GB – 995 |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 1.5GB – 30 | ———– | ———– | ———– |
Weekly bundle pricing
| Service provider | Airtel Networks Zambia Plc | MTN Zambia | Zamtel | Liquid Intelligent Technologies |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 6GB – 50 | 5GB – 50 | 6.6GB – 50 | 7GB – 55 |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 2GB – 20 | 1.8GB – 20 | 2.2GB – 20 | ———– |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | 800MB – 10 | 700MB – 10 | 880MB – 10 | ———– |
| Bundle & pricing (ZMW) | ———– | ———– | ———– | ———– |
Analysis & commentary:
#1. Airtel Networks Zambia Plc
Since the network introduced non-expiry bundles and slashed its data Pay As You Go (PAYG) rate in 2020, Airtel offers a maximum volume of 25GB for one month at a fixed price of K2001, while equally offering the cheapest monthly bundle of 1.5GB at K30.
#2. MTN Zambia
MTN, who launched their popular ‘Spaka promotion’ back in 2015, which enabled subscribers to get a daily 20MB data bundle for as low as K2, charge K200 for a maximum volume of 22GB for one month,2 the same price in the monthly bundle pricing category as its two rival competitors, but offering the least volume of data bundles.
The network also charges consumers K50 to purchase weekly bundles of 5GB, evenly-priced as the other two mobile phone companies in the weekly bundle pricing category, but have the lowest bundle on offer out of all service providers.
#3. Zamtel
Zamtel charges K200 for a monthly 26GB data bundle,3 the cheapest in the monthly bundle category of between 25 and 30GB.
The Government-owned telecommunications company also peg their highest weekly bundle of 6.6GB, competitively priced at just K50, and offering their consumers more data of 600MB more than rivals, Airtel, who charge the same price for 6GB.
#4. Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia
Liquid’s price offering for the monthly data bundles ranges from a minimum of 1GB at K45 to a maximum of 160GB at K2,295. The former is a basic starter bundle, while the latter gives marketers free unlimited use of YouTube, Netflix, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.
For marketers on a tight budget, the 30GB data bundle is ideal, conveniently priced at K220, which still enables digital marketers to enjoy fast download speeds and unbeatable upload speeds. This bundle also gives the consumer free unlimited use of WhatsApp, Twitter & Facebook.
Clearly, the cheapest data bundle on offer in the range of 25GB-30GB is with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, who offer a neatly-priced 30GB data bundle for a competitive K220, while the most expensive remains MTN whose pricing of a 25GB bundle will cost consumers K400 per month.
1. https://www.airtel.co.zm/internet-otherservice – (26/05/2021)
2. MTN Zambia *335# – (10/06/2021)
3. https://www.zamtel.zm/personal_internet.html – (26/05/2021)
