As the sun sets on the splendid balanced rocks of Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe, boys throw stones to scare away the baboons: they want to be left alone to search for the network.
Silozwe, a village located less than 50 km from Bulawayo (south), the country’s second city, is a black hole in terms of mobile connection.
The daily processions of network hunters on the hills of Matobo are an obligatory pilgrimage to make a phone call, send a message or consult social networks.
“At my age, I have trouble going up. And I can’t always connect,” complains Sakhile Sibindi, 60, a grandmother who walks five kilometers from her house to get to the site.
Rural network problems are not unique to Zimbabwe. A third of the world’s population, or 2.6 billion people, does not have access to the internet, according to the UN, which is targeting “global connectivity” by 2030.
In sub-Saharan Africa, one in four people use a mobile phone to go online, but 15% live in areas without coverage, according to the Global Association of Telecom Operators (GSMA).
– Prying ears –
The Matobo hills provide a solution for the inhabitants of Silozwe, although not always reliable. And that’s without counting prying ears: “Family stories end up being known to the whole village,” says Sakhile Sibindi.
The UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its characteristic rocks, is also not easy to access.
“If someone gets sick at night, you can’t come here to make a phone call. And if it’s a death, you will stay with the corpse in your house,” continues Ms. Sibindi.
Some show ingenuity. Mobile phones are hung on sticks in the courtyards of houses or attached to tree branches in an attempt to catch some network.
Anna Tiyo, 42, built a makeshift antenna on an old metal barrel under a tree to call her husband who works in neighboring South Africa.
“I was walking through fields in the sun and took a break under this tree. I was watching videos on my phone,” she recalls, “when WhatsApp messages started coming in. That’s how I found this corner with network.”
The less fortunate ask bus drivers to pass on their written or oral messages.
– “Zimbabwe intelligent” –
In the southern African country which has been plunged into a serious economic crisis for more than 20 years, network problems are not helping.
Bukhosibethu Moyo, a 29-year-old building contractor, says he is losing customers because he cannot call them or receive payments online.
“Most say they can’t reach me for days,” he laments, before adding: “They end up hiring people in town who are easily reachable.”
However, more than 97% of the population of 16 million has a mobile phone. And more than 14.5 million subscriptions are active in the country, according to the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
But the government recognizes that connection problems persist in rural areas and promises investments. Touting “a state-of-the-art fiber optic network” and “a blueprint for a smart Zimbabwe,” Communications Minister Tatenda Mavetera promised in March on X that the country would become “a digital powerhouse.”
But progress is slow and villages continue to feel abandoned.
“We are part of this country and we deserve to have access to the same opportunities as people in urban areas,” says Ms. Tiyo.
Requested by AFP, the Ministry of Communication did not respond.
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