Radio licence adds pressure on Zimbabwe car owners

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Owning a car in Zimbabwe just got more expensive.

From now on, drivers will need to pay for a radio licence before they can renew their licence discs or even get insurance.
This follows President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to sign the Broadcasting Services Amendment Act (No. 2 of 2025), which was gazetted on 23 May.

Zim motorists required to buy a mandatory radio licence fee

This move is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars annually for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), according to Zim Live.
The new licence will cost motorists US$92 (R1 680) a year, and will be a requirement for essential vehicle services unless they hold an exemption certificate.

ZINARA data suggests that although Zimbabwe has 1.2 million registered vehicles, only 800 000 undergo licence renewal each year. This would generate an estimated US$73 million (R 1.3 billion) annually for the ZBC under the new licensing regime.

Critics of the new law

However, the new law has sparked a backlash amongst some Zimbabweans. Motorists and opposition leaders have slammed the law, accusing ZBC of being nothing more than a propaganda machine for Zanu PF. They say the fees are unjustified and far too high.

Here is how they reacted on social media:

@DMubatsiri: “Next thing they will require radio licenses for your cellphones.”

@knowlekc: “Zimbabweans will tweet, vent their anger and then just go on to pay as if nothing happened.”

@TadiwaKaredza: “In fact being a motorist in Zim is a curse. Everyone has a radio on their phones but only motorists are easy targets.”

@tazmus982: “We don’t really mind paying for the car radio licence. What’s offensive is the terrible and partisan service we receive from ZBC.“