By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Zimbabwe’s postal service is bleeding customers, with letter volumes crashing 27.12% in Q4 2024.
But while snail mail fades, private couriers are thriving—thanks to a surge in online shopping and logistics demand.
Key Findings from the Abridged Fourth Quarter 2024 Sector Performance Report suggest that:
Postal collapse: Domestic letters fell 39.31%, while international mail dropped 18.81%. Only outgoing letters grew (27.43%), likely due to diaspora remittances.
Courier resilience: Despite a 27.12% overall decline, courier revenues jumped 92% (ZWG183.8 million), fueled by e-commerce logistics. International courier shipments rose 36.86%.
Outlet shake-up: DHL downsized (-10% outlets), but FedEx held steady. Postal density improved slightly (30,002 people per outlet).
“ZimPost must modernize or perish. No one sends letters anymore, but everyone needs parcels delivered,” said logistics expert Farai Dube. “The future is last-mile e-commerce solutions.”
With Starlink enabling faster online shopping, couriers like Skynet and UPS are poised to dominate. Meanwhile, ZimPost’s outdated infrastructure risks obsolescence.
Data Visual:
Postal vs. Courier Volumes (Q4 2024)
Postal letters: 125,921 items (↓39.31%)
Courier shipments: 127,763 items (↓20.61% but revenue ↑92%)
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