As Zimbabwe’s digital economy continues to grow rapidly, authorities are increasing cybersecurity awareness and enforcement measures to tackle a rising wave of cybercrimes across the country.
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), which regulates the country’s telecom and Internet sectors, confirmed a significant rise in cyber-related offenses. Officials said growing Internet access and digital adoption have created more opportunities for cybercriminal activity.
“The cybercrimes are already consolidated in the country’s criminal code,” said Tsitsi Mariwo, POTRAZ director in the data protection unit. “The law is there, but what is required is implementation and more awareness.”
POTRAZ said it is working closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other stakeholders to strengthen enforcement and improve cybersecurity awareness nationwide.
Authorities highlighted that Zimbabwe’s Internet penetration increased from 48.86% in 2015 to 82.87% in 2025. Mobile Internet penetration also rose from 46.7% to 80.58% during the same period.
Officials said common cyber offenses in the country include hacking, cyberbullying, unlawful data access, business email compromise, threatening messages, malware attacks, fake information sharing, intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse material.
Komborerai Allan Manenji, POTRAZ advocacy and compliance manager, said Zimbabwe currently does not have a dedicated cybercrime law, creating challenges in prosecution. Cyber offenses are currently handled under existing criminal and cyber protection laws.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, said cyberbullying, misinformation and fake news are increasing in the country.
“Government is applying the necessary legal frameworks to arrest individuals contributing to the spreading of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news,” Mavetera said.
POTRAZ also established a Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) to handle cyber threats including unauthorized access, denial of service attacks, malware infections and system intrusion attempts.
According to officials, online fraud accounted for nearly 33% of cybercrimes reported in 2025, followed by cyberbullying and hacking at 27% each. Smishing represented 13%, while theft accounted for 10%.
Police also revealed that scams involving pension fraud, mobile malware, deepfakes and cryptocurrency-linked crimes are increasing. In response, authorities have established a specialized cybercrime laboratory to strengthen investigations and improve national cyber resilience.
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