MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE- The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has released its abridged sector performance report for the first quarter of 2025, revealing a 3.88% decline in postal and courier volumes compared to the previous quarter.
The abridged sector performance report provides a comprehensive overview of the postal and courier industry’s performance in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
According to the report, total postal and courier volumes decreased from 329,055 items in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 316,298 items in the first quarter of 2025.
This decline was driven by a 16.86% drop in domestic courier volumes and an 11.91% decrease in international outgoing courier volumes, said POTRAZ Director General Dr. Gift Machengete in his first quarter report released last Friday.
Conversely, domestic postal letters saw a 9.85% increase, and international outgoing letters grew by 17.22%.
International incoming letters and courier volumes also recorded modest increases of 7.85% and 8.13%, respectively.
The report also provided insights into the distribution of courier outlets in the country.
Machengete said, while the total number of operational postal outlets remained at 281, “the number of courier outlets increased by 5, from 230 in 2024 to 235 in the first quarter of 2025”.
This growth was primarily driven by a 5-outlet increase in DHL’s network.
Despite the increase in postal and courier outlets, the overall postal and courier density worsened from 30,002 people per outlet to 30,378 people per outlet, due to an increase in the estimated population.
Financially, the postal and courier sector experienced declines in revenues, operating costs, and capital expenditure, by 15%, 21%, and 68%, respectively, during the quarter under review.
However, the cost-to-income ratio improved by 9 percentage points, from 119% in fourth quarter of 2024 to 111% in the first quarter of 2025.
