Econet shows us how a social media campaign is done
Posted inConnectivity

Econet shows us how a social media campaign is done

We have just been informed that Econet has begun running a Facebook campaign for its eTXT service. Econet has had some misses publicising and advertising its internet products but this one definitely looks executed quite well so far. It appears Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile operator has found some brainiac to guide them!
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

ZOL Startup Challenge Finalists: FUNZA

Funza is an online recruitment platform targeted at grassroots recruitment. It is the only concept stage startup to qualify for the finals. Escar concludes will also provide its development, placement and consultancy services in the greater sub-region.
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

Financial Express: a startup takes aim at Goliath

Not too long ago, Kabweza and l met Tommy Deuschle of Big Africa - a start-up that has gone through many pivots. According to Tommy, the current focus of the company is to become a virtual startup/business accelerator by leveraging on the power of relationships in business. His aim is to create a self sustaining network of businesses that compliment and consolidate each other. One of these startups that Big Africa is a part of is Finx (Financial Express).
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

ZOL Startup Challenge Finalists: Softwarehouse – Hardware Inventory

Hardware Inventory is a proprietary Windows based application developed by Softwarehouse, a local startup that began on the back of their Quickstem Suite-a floriculture management software that has been used by farmers in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Netherlands among others. Quickstem was beginning to gain traction until the global recession resulted in less demand for the product, combined with local challenges the flower growing sector has faced locally.
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Posted inConnectivity

Africa’s Telecoms Titans: France Telecom-Orange

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, the world’s 5th largest mobile operator by subscribers. France Telecom is a converged communications provider with a large presence in the mobile space and diverse fixed line, content, infrastructure, venture capital and value added services. The operator’s roots stretch back to the 18th century. It has evolved from a state owned monopoly into a top 5 global telecommunications player.
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

ZOL Startup Challenge Finalists: Ribe Networks

Ribe Networks is a local chat application that has set its sight on disrupting internet based messaging. It intends to do so by offering users across all mainstream mobile and pc platforms the ability to interact with peers through the lightweight and locally hosted Ribe Chat application. Users can link their Ribe account to Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, MSN, Yahoo Mail and others.
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Posted inBroadband Connectivity Startups

Startups: The International Telecoms Union is waiting for your pitch

Two weeks ago, ITU (the International Telecoms Union) launched a global competition that seeks to give 60 Young Innovators and Digital Innovators the chance to travel to its flagship event, ITU Telecoms World in Geneva (October 24-27). Entrants will be able to pitch their ground-breaking ideas to leaders of the world’s ICT industry. Techzim would have wanted to publish this sooner however we have just found out about it. And it's not too late!
Posted inConnectivity

Electricity infrastructure & ICTs: Zesa’s 31% tariff increase

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has come up with what it believes is a grand plan to vanquish power cuts (also known as Load Shedding) from the great lands between the Limpopo and Zambezi river. After much thought and strategising, the engineers and boffins at the parastatal have come to the conclusion that a 31% increase of tariffs is the answer.
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Posted inConnectivity

Android powered Internet boxes can transform Africa

In the 21st century there’s one gigantic reality that many aspiring inventors bump into; there’s not much left to invent! While this may be so, the focus now (more than ever) is on building on what’s already there to solve humanity’s challenges and/or making life simpler. Groupon exploded onto the scene by tweaking a traditional coupon concept and panel beating it for the 21st century, the iPad (and “others”) squeezed laptops into a handheld wonder, while social networks took traditional human relationships online.
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Posted inBroadband

The faulty Africom modems

Africom’s ZTE supplied modems are having compatibility issues when connected to Windows Home 7 machines. The problem occurs when the connect button is clicked on the dongle’s menu, leading to that most hated of Windows menaces; a blue screen. We visited the Africom shop along Jason Moyo Avenue on Friday and were immediately surprised by the lack of staff at the often congested shop.
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Posted inMiscellaneous

FBC Bank introduces MasterCard Prepaid services

FBC Bank has begun offering a MasterCard Prepaid service that enables locals to shop online across various platforms worldwide. In a campaign dubbed ‘Load & Go’ the bank initially introduced the campaign through the endorsement of local music icon; Oliver Mtukudzi, advertising the service’s access to leading merchants around the world.
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Posted inConnectivity

Africa’s Telecoms Titans: Orascom Telecom Holdings

Orascom Telecom Holdings is a global telecoms operator based in Egypt and is now majority owned by Vimpelcom Group. The company is part of Orascom Holdings, Egypt’s biggest conglomerate and the commercial vehicle of Africa’s wealthiest family.
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

MTN rolls out Africa and Middle East Apps Challenge

MTN Group- Africa’s biggest telecommunications firm; has introduced an Africa and Middle East focused app development contest. According to an article by Business Day South Africa last week, the company has begun the challenge as part of a build up to the launch of its own app store. It is inviting software developers across its operating markets and beyond to submit innovative applications that are built on or address African and Middle Eastern experiences.
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Posted inBroadband Connectivity Startups

Zimbabwe in top 10 African ICT hubs of the future list

According to a survey conducted by African Business Panel and echoing the sentiments of 800 business professionals across Africa, Zimbabwe is expected to be among the continent’s top 10 ICT hubs out of a total 53 states in the next five years. The report was released in Amsterdam last month and pinpoints South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya at the top of the rankings. South Africa has traditionally been a gateway to Africa for most international ICT firms and has of late been losing its glow to Kenya which among other things is Africa’s first nation to have an open data policy.
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Posted inBroadband Connectivity Startups

BarCamp: Thoughts and contributions on building scalable startups & products

Wow! Wednesday was a great day to reflect on for us here at Techzim. BarCamp Zimbabwe; the country’s first grassroots ICT event finally came together. The event was made possible through the support of ZOL and other sponsors like Byers Design, Matamba Anonaka Technology Holdings, Webdev and Zimbojam. It was also the work of great individuals in the organizing team, notably; Joseph Manzungu, Lennex Zinyando, Christine Dube, Chengetai Chikwanha, Richwell Phinias, Richard Mberi, Larry Kwirirayi and many other people who helped leading to the event.
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Posted inMiscellaneous

Zimbabwe paper’s questionable attack on Trustco

As Techzim we are obliged to promote debate and dialogue. We were surprised to read an article in this morning’s Daily News (A Zimbabwe daily) that we believe was not generous with facts. The article’s opening shot begins by describing Trustco as “a company that appears to talk very big about itself”, and proceeds to stage a series of assaults on the company, most of it factually incorrect and misleading.
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Posted inConnectivity Startups

Startup Challenge: What Applicants need to know about pitching

A lot of startup applications have been coming in for the US$ 25, 000 Startup Challenge which is being run alongside BarCamp Zimbabwe 2011. Since an event of this nature has not happened in Zimbabwe before, the following practical pointers can bring applicants and prospective entrepreneurs up to speed on the elements found in a good pitch:
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