Posted inConnectivity Mobile Money

Press Release: EcoCash now in OK Zimbabwe Limited stores

Zimbabwe’s largest supermarket chain, OK Zimbabwe Limited, has become the first major retailer to be connected to EcoCash, Econet Wireless’ mobile money service. OK has assumed an EcoCash “Super-Agent” status, and will be performing agent services for EcoCash throughout its branches across the country. Under this partnership, every OK outlet will now register customers for EcoCash and also perform cashing in and cashing out functions for EcoCash.
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biNu EcoCash Message
Posted inMobile Money Startups

biNu adds EcoCash to its credits payment options

In a story title “More problems for regular SMS: biNu credits now available locally” that we posted here a few weeks ago, we expressed our delight that biNu credits were now available locally. The Australian based company (which now has representatives locally) had just announced that its 200,000 Zimbabwean users could now buy its platform’s currency at Easi and YoTime
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Developers at a tech event in Zimbabwe
Posted inBroadband Connectivity Mobile Money

Is starting a tech startup just too costly for us?

I usually argue on the side of “lack of funding is just an excuse”. If you work hard enough, if you’re solving a real problem, if you’re passionate enough, if you think outside the box etc… But sometimes I wonder if the problem is lack of funding, or if it’s more an issue of young people having so much more to lose if they decide to take the startup route and its high risks. More to lose compared to their counterparts in, say, Europe, the US or Cape Town.
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Tawanda Naymbirai
Posted inConnectivity Mobile Money

TN Bank becomes Econet subsidiary as Nyambirai sells stake

Tawanda Nyambirai, Lifestyle Holdings CEO and Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Chairman, announced today that he has accepted an offer from Econet Wireless to buy him out of TN bank. Speaking at a press briefing today Nyambirai said he will be selling his stake in the bank he founded in exchange for shareholding in Econet Wireless. As a result of the transaction Nyambirai said he will be stepping down as chairman of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to become a director on the board of the parent company Econet Wireless Group.
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TN Bank
Posted inMobile Money

Econet connects EcoCash to its banking company, TN Bank

Yesterday, Econet published in an advert the announcement that the industry knew would come sooner or later. The mobile operator has now integrated EcoCash, its mobile money transfer service, to TN Bank, the bank it acquired earlier this year. The development means TN bank customers that use EcoCash will be able to transfer money from the bank accounts to their EcoCash wallets and vice versa.
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CBZ Bank Executive Director Colin Chimutsa, EcoCash, CBZ partnership
Posted inMobile Money

While Zimswitch waits, Econet chooses to partner banks directly with EcoCash

Today we attended a press briefing where Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and CBZ Bank were announced a new mobile banking partnership. The partnership basically entails that EcoCash subscribers who bank with CBZ can now move money between their EcoCash mobile money wallet and their traditional bank account from their mobile phones. Users of the service can also check the bank balance and get a mini statement all via EcoCash.
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eTranzact
Posted inConnectivity Mobile Money Startups

Vpayments may not be for everyone

When mobile payments were introduced in Zimbabwe, I thought here is the chance for me to sell my book to Zimbabweans who do not have Visa cards, MasterCards etc. I made my first call to Big Bank in November of 2011 and asked them about accepting payments via their mobile money transfer solution. I was told it was Ok.
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Posted inMobile Money

Sponsor Profile: EcoCash

The ePayments Forum is a platform of common interest that seeks to bring together stakeholders in the plastic money, mobile money, and internet banking sector (collectively known as ePayments). The inaugural event is organised by Techzim events through the valued support of sponsorship partners:
EcoCash CommuterOmnibus, kombi
Posted inMobile Money

Econet subsidizes kombi fares for EcoCash users

In an apparent move to attract subscribers to use its EcoCash mobile payment service, Econet announced this week that for a week they’ll subsidize the kombi* fare by US 25 cents for people paying via EcoCash. For some users of EcoCash this means as much as half of the fare will be paid by Econet just for using their platform.
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Vpayments
Posted inConnectivity Mobile Money

Everything you need to know about Zimswitch’s Vpayments gateway

Zimswitch, a national switching company recently introduced an internet payment gateway service called Vpayments. Being a financial switch basically means they provider interconnection between their member banks. Zimswitch member banks account for about 95% of the 1.5 million banked population in Zimbabwe. After hyperinflation and dollarisation, many Zimbabweans moved away from the banks, but now they are moving back, with the number of banked individuals holding a bank account expected to exceed 3 million by the end of 2013.
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ePayments Forum Logo
Posted inConnectivity Mobile Money Startups

Announcing Zimbabwe’s first ePayments Forum

Convenient payment options are a critical and often cited sticking point for commercial and economic development. Numerous discussions have taken place around the need for increased electronic payment methods as a means to overcome time, socio-economic, and logistical constraints amongst others.
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