WhatsApp is rolling out the Delete for Everyone

A year ago, WhatsApp accounted for around a third of all internet use in Zimbabwe and is still growing rapidly to close in on about half of all internet data.

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Promotional WhatsApp and Facebook access bundles, marketed by the local mobile operators, are helping drive up usage of the platforms, according to the regulator, Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz). It’s one of few African regulators to break down the individual dominance of WhatsApp, which is as popular with consumers as it is controversial for governments in many countries in Africa.

While WhatsApp is most popular used as a text messaging platform it is increasingly used for its voice call feature, particularly for those making international calls. Zimbabwean mobile firms have previously lobbied the government to regulate over the top services in the country.

Mobile revenue growth rates have been slowing down in sub- Saharan Africa since 2013 and that trend is expected to continue until the end of the decade—despite a still fast-growing subscriber base.
Across the continent more subscribers have shown a preference to chat and and make voice calls via these platforms like WhatsApp, Skype and FB Messenger. This has led to an “increasing cannibalization of traditional voice and messaging revenues,” according to global trade organization, GSMA.


A year ago, WhatsApp accounted for around a third of all internet use in Zimbabwe and is still growing rapidly to close in on about half of all internet data.

Promotional WhatsApp and Facebook access bundles, marketed by the local mobile operators, are helping drive up usage of the platforms, according to the regulator, Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz). It’s one of few African regulators to break down the individual dominance of WhatsApp, which is as popular with consumers as it is controversial for governments in many countries in Africa.