State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Zimbabwe's Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector: challenges to preparing for the future

This qualitative study reveals and explains challenges confronting Zimbabwe’s four state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector (Telecel, TelOne, Powertel, and NetOne). It seeks to contribute to the policy and practice discourse of running SOEs in Zimbabwe and the continent and addresses a gap in literature on challenges they face. The agency theory informed the study, as the state mandates the SOEs to act on its behalf. Four chief executive officers and 16 directors were interviewed. A further 28 participants (the executive management) filled out semi-structured questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used. The study found instances of poor corporate governance practices, technological lags, unnecessary competition due to duplication of services, and undue government interference. It recommends a regulatory regime that entrenches ethical governance standards, utilizing binding legal mechanisms to serve as a credible deterrent against institutional misconduct.