Is the POTRAZ data protection licence fee paid once or every year?
Short answer
Every year. A POTRAZ data controller licence is valid for 12 months and you must apply for renewal at least three months before it expires, on Form DP1 with the same tier fee. Missing the renewal leaves you processing unlicensed.
What the law says
SI 155 states that a licence is valid for 12 months subject to compliance, and that a licensee "shall apply for renewal of the licence at least 3 months before the date of expiry of the licence". The renewal application uses the same Form DP1 and the same tier fee as the original application. There is no multi-year licence and no reduced renewal fee.
Example
A logistics company in Harare receives its Tier 2 licence on 1 November 2026. The licence expires on 31 October 2027, so the renewal application must be filed by 31 July 2027. The finance manager, who is also the DPO, enters two reminders: one on 1 July 2027 to prepare the renewal and one on 15 July 2027 to confirm payment. She budgets USD 300 in each year's licence line.
In practice
Treat the renewal like a vehicle licence: recurring, dated, and unforgiving. Our compliance software sends renewal reminders automatically at nine and eight months after issue; a shared calendar works too, as long as more than one person can see it.
General information, not legal advice. This page covers Zimbabwean law only: the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07], Statutory Instrument 155 of 2024 and POTRAZ’s 2025 Implementation Guidelines. It is not the EU GDPR and not South Africa’s POPIA. Fees, fine levels and deadlines are as gazetted and published by POTRAZ at 9 September 2026; check the latest POTRAZ notices before acting. Businesses named in examples are fictional.