Zimbabwean state run mobile operator, NetOne, has partnered with pan-African telco giant, MTN, to switch on its roaming services in South Africa.

NetOne is Zimbabwe’s smallest mobile company by subscriber numbers, with about 1.5 million subscribers. The other major players in the country’s mobile market are Econet, with 6.4 million subscribers, and Telecel, which has just over 1.6 million subscribers.

NetOne informed its subscribers yesterday that they can now access roaming services in South Africa using MTN’s network.

“NetOne prepaid subscribers can now use their Easycall lines seamlessly across the Limpopo on MTN,” the company said.

When traveling to South Africa, NetOne’s prepaid subscribers recharge their account before departure to activate the roaming service on their mobile phones on South Africa’s MTN network.

NetOne also said over the weekend that it has “increased its broadband coverage in Harare and surrounding areas”. This could enable the company’s subscribers to access the internet through their mobile phones at “home, work or school”.

ITWeb Africa recently reported that NetOne had tied up a partnership with Belgacom, a Belgian company, under an agreement that will enable travelers to Zimbabwe access NetOne’s network for roaming services while in the country.

The expansion of roaming services by NetOne is being funded by a $45 million funding facility extended by Huawei Technologies.