World Sites & Apps
Africa · #87 · 2025–2026

Zambia: internet and everyday apps

Zambia has about 6.5 million people online — a penetration rate of 30.2% and rank #87 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 11 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 6.5 million Penetration 30.2% World rank #87 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Zambia has roughly 6.5 million internet users (6,500,000 people) — about 30.2% of the population and rank #87 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, ayoba, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, News and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Zambia in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
6.5 million6,500,000 · #87
Penetration
30.2%#197
Population
21.5 million21,500,000 · #63
GDP
$25B#120
GDP growth
+3.8%#81
GDP per person
$1,177#190
Land area
752.6k km²#39
Capital
Lusaka
Region
Africa
Official languages
English

How Zambia goes online

Lusaka conversation happens in WhatsApp groups first and on Facebook second. Work, church, family and the neighbourhood watch all have a thread, and a rumour can travel across the city before lunch. MTN Money and Airtel Money handle transfers and bills, and both are accepted in places where a card machine never arrives. Local news sites and the state broadcaster's pages fill the rest, though the radio still reaches the places the signal does not.

Around 30.2%. With a population of about 21.5 million and 6.5 million online, roughly 15 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 11 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

11 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 ayoba Messaging · MTN · 2019

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012

Payments

1 Most-used apps →
MTN MoMo Payments · MTN Group · 2009

Mobility

2 Most-used apps →
Bolt Mobility · Bolt Technology · 2013 inDrive Mobility · inDrive · 2012

News

1 Most-used apps →
BBC News · BBC（英国公共广播机构） · 1997

Websites people in Zambia actually use

9

The 9 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Telecom3News2Banking1Utilities1Education1Government1
MTN ZambiaTelecommtn.co.zmMobile network; airtime, data bundles and MoMo payments in one app. ZamtelTelecomzamtel.zmThe state network, fixed lines and mobile. MTN ZambiaTelecommtn.zmOne of the two big mobile networks. Lusaka TimesNewslusakatimes.comOnline news people check for politics, court cases and gossip. Zambia Daily MailNewsdaily-mail.co.zmState daily, read for official announcements and job adverts. ZanacoBankingzanaco.co.zmBank app for salaries, transfers and paying bills without queueing. Zambia Electricity Supply CorporationUtilitieszesco.co.zmWhen the power goes off in Lusaka, ZESCO's page is the first thing I open, mostly to see whether it is load shedding or a fault on the line. University of ZambiaEducationunza.zmThe country’s oldest university. Zambia Revenue AuthorityGovernmentzra.org.zmTax and customs administration.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Zambia are online?

About 6.5 million (6,500,000 people). That works out to roughly 30.2% of the population, which puts Zambia at #87 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Zambia use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, ayoba, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, News. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Zambia?

WhatsApp, ayoba dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Zambia?

Around 30.2%. With a population of about 21.5 million and 6.5 million online, roughly 15 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Zambia?

The everyday ones are Lusaka Times, Zambia Daily Mail, Zanaco, plus the other 9 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Zambia: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/zm.html