“E-commerce resurrects SMS usage”

Harare, (New Ziana) – Mobile telecommunications giant, Econet Wireless said on Thursday a rise in e-commerce has resurrected the usage of short message services (SMS) on its platforms.

Usage of SMS had largely gone down following the rise of cheaper social media applications like WhatsApp.

But Econet, in its update for the quarter ended November 2020, said it had recorded a 32.1 percent rise in SMS volumes for the period compared to the same period in 2019.

“The growth we have experienced in SMS volumes reflects the increased adoption and usage of e-commerce platforms which drives customer SMS interactions,” the telco said.

Most companies have turned to bulk SMS messaging to advertise and sell their goods and services.

Econet said demand for data services has remained high as people continue to work and learn from home due to the coronavirus outbreak, with data volumes for the period up 90 percent.

“Our past investment in resilient network infrastructure has positioned us to be the digital connectivity partner of choice,” the company said.

“We continue to enable our customers to work and learn from home whilst observing social distancing etiquette.”

Voice calls have however taken the hit, almost remaining flat, at 0.1 percent growth for the period.

Meanwhile, Econet lauded the recent adjustment of tariff which the firm said “has helped to restore the viability of the (telecommunications) sector.”
New Ziana