Econet Launches Kwese TV in Zimbabwe

Local telecommunications operator, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, last night launched their longly awaited media offering Kwese TV in Harare at an event attended by a number of local celebrities in the arts and culture industry as well as a number of people active in the local media ecosystem.

The event was well attended as people came out to witness this long-awaited event that has been delayed, a number of times.

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Group CEO Douglas Mboweni highlighted how Econet has always been focused on mass-market penetration of their products and services that have seen them owning a large market share in the local telecoms voice and data sectors as well as mobile money usage. He emphasised how Kwese TV will be adopting the same approach and its target will not be the elite but the average Tendai on the street. They’ve taken an ‘elitist’ product and made it available for everyone Mboweni further went on to say.

Highlighted at the event also was how Econet have opted to accept ‘any local means of payment’ for one to pay for the Kwese TV service, something local competitor DStv’s payment partners (they say it’s the banks that take payments and not them) have refused or restricted subscribers to do.

Dorothy Zimuto, the Econet Media Zimbabwe head, spoke on the recently enabled feature on the TV service that enables subscribers to enjoy their watching services from as many as a TV and 4 other devices (cellphone, tablet and/or TV). One could essentially now have the ‘television with them in their pocket’ and enjoy access to Kwese and watch content available Zimuto further added.

It was also revealed how subscribers will be able to watch Kwese on their device free of charge from an Econet Wi-Fi hotspot (they state that they have 570 hotspots around the country).