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  • Econet and Ezetopup: The how to and review

    A while ago Econet joined the Eztopup platform. Eztopup is an online international company that allows people to buy airtime online using Paypal, Mastercard and Visa Cards. Econet did this ostensibly so those in diaspora can send airtime to their relatives in Zimbabwe. The platform however can be used to buy airtime for your own…

  • Barclays will let you send money to anyone in Zimbabwe via an ATM

    Last week, Barclays announced a money transfer service called Cashsend that lets the bank’s customers with debit cards send money to anyone in Zimbabwe via an ATM. The service is one of the most innovative to come out of a bank in Zimbabwe and rivals other money transfer services on the market like EcoCash, Western…

  • If you had unlimited broadband at unlimited speed, what would you use it for?

    Yesterday, we asked our followers on Facebook a question: If you had unlimited broadband at unlimited speeds, what would you use it for?

  • Bitcoin, a currency and payments opportunity for Zimbabweans?

    The money system is broken, and no one knows that better than the Zimbabwean who watched helplessly as institutions – government, politicians, bankers – they trusted to look after the value of their money conspired and eroded hard earned savings to nothing over a few years.

  • New Econet Services company a response to plateaued telecoms business

    In October last year, it emerged that the Econet Wireless Group had formed a new company to drive the EcoCash mobile money service. Econet Services. The new company wasn’t “launched” or “announced” formally in the market, as far as we could tell at least. The change was treated subtly by Econet in as far as…

  • OK Zimbabwe and FNB launch SA diaspora mobile remittance service

    A press release today announced the launch of a mobile based remittance service by First National Bank (FNB) and OK Zim for people in South Africa to send money to Zimbabwe

  • Press Release: Econet launches virtual debit card

    Zimbabwe’s largest mobile phone company, Econet Wireless, has unveiled an innovative functionality on its mobile money service EcoCash which allows a cell phone to also operate as a virtual debit card.

  • The wish list

    As I spent time in the darkness waiting for ZESA to restore power to my neighborhood; something that I have been doing for the past two weeks, I found myself with too much time on my hands.I started making a list of things that I would sell my first born to get in this country.…

  • Brainstorm: Startup brings exam revision material to students via mobile

    Their mission is clear, and 25,000 Facebook fans in just a few months is testament to the need for the service: Helping students excel in school by providing useful revision tools and information. And they couldn’t have launched at a better time.

  • Econet to split shares 10 to 1 to make them more accessible

    Econet just sent out a press release today to basically say they’d like to go back to their founding roots when the majority of the company’s shares where in the hands of ordinary people, and that to do that they will be splitting the company’s shares 10 to 1.

  • Zim startup launches gifts e-commerce site network

    As prospects of viable e-commerce business in Zimbabwe increase, startups are launching to meet the opportunities. One such startup, MyZimStore.com, has launched a network of websites to sell gifts and flowers online. The site’s target customers are both internet users in the country and those in the Diaspora.

  • You don’t need to be an engineer to start a technology business

    Gary Shayne who founded Cellular Systems, later renamed Celsys, which he listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange when he was only 27 years old and went on to sell to Lonrho was a chartered accountant, and not a telecommunications engineer. Sure there were many telecommunications engineers who knew telecommunications, and who could boast more experience…

  • Zim mobile operators directed to reduce mobile money transaction fees

    The constant complaint with mobile money services locally (EcoCash really) is that it’s expensive to use. Since launch. They reviewed the transaction fees downwards once, a few weeks after launch, but EcoCash remained the most expensive mobile money transfer service in Zimbabwe. So yes, we mourned a lot about it every time we got a…

  • Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to establish mobile money regulation

    The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Gideon Gono, announced yesterday the introduction of a deliberate legal and regulatory framework for Mobile Financial Services. The announcement was made as part of the Monetary Policy Statement presentation.

  • Startup talk: A knack for potential

    A lot of startups simply stuck their heads into the sand and launched e-commerce sites with a credit card based checkout and no wonder they failed. Whilst at it, it needs to be mentioned that people hate writing cheques and banks hate issuing cheque books even more. www.gtel.co.zw seems to have mastered the art of…

  • 5 tech initiatives we would love to see in Zimbabwe in 2013

    Open data would enable accountability: it is difficult to conceal something if the facts are there for all to see. Not only will it result in transparency, just Data alone in the right hands is a powerful resource for our national economic and social development. It’s also an incredible opportunity for local talent to build…

  • TN Bank to finance smartphones and tablets for Econet subscribers

    When Econet made moves to acquire TN Bank last year, they made it clear it was to push adoption of their EcoCash mobile money service. But there are more benefits to owning a financial institution than just driving mobile money adoption; Econet announced today that one of those benefits, and indeed one of the reasons…

  • Press Release: Econet reaches 8 Million customers

    The festive season once again saw a bumpThe festive season once again saw a bumper rise in Econet subscribers with the company reporting that it has crossed the 8-million level for the first time, supported by the recent introduction of Buddie Zone. Econet Wireless Commercial Director Mr George Barbaressos confirmed the new figures, saying the…

  • Mobile Money: Zim banks moan about unfair competition from mobile operators

    A report today by financial news and analysis service FinX says the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe have proposed that mobile money services be included in new banking reforms for the country. This, the bankers say, would create a level playing field in an sector facing significant disruption from mobile phone operators.

  • 2012 roundup: The year in review

    The year kicked off with one of the largest ISPs in Zimbabwe ZOL, announcing that it had been acquired by Liquid Telecom, a move which resulted in the Econet Wireless Group cementing its position as Zimbabwe’s largest telecoms firm.

  • Report: The Jumpstart Panel Discussion on Tech Entrepreneurship

    Last week, the final Jumpstart event of the year was held at Cresta Jameson in Harare. The event was a panel discussion where we invited some of the judges of our annualJumpstart Challenge (it’s just in the second year actually) and local telecoms executives from Econet, the largest telecoms operator in Zimbabwe. The event was…

  • Enterprise mobility; what to consider

    There is mobility, and there is enterprise mobility. Arguably, over the past 4 years mobility in Zimbabwe has seen an impressive and steady growth; we have had new technologies, mobile broadband, more companies, and cheaper broadband prices. All this has opened up a lot of doors, and a lot of opportunities for individuals and companies…

  • 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…

  • Zimbabwe’s 2012 ICT Achievers Awards: The winners

    The winners of the ICT Ministry organized ICT Achievers awards were announced last week Friday at a function held at Cresta Lodge in Harare. Now in their 3rd year the awards were presented by ICT Minister, Nelson Chamisa, and Thokozani Khuphe, Zimbabwe’s deputy prime minister.

  • #263Chat: Tweets on tech and tech entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe

    Earlier this week I was guest on the weekly #263Chat discussion hosted by Nigel Mugamu where the discussion was centered on tech in Zimbabwe; the state of, the challenges, possible solutions, opportunities, funding for entrepreneurs and other issues. #263Chat is a really interesting way to have a realtime virtual gathering and discuss important common issues.…

  • A brief and some pictures from the Techzim ePayments Forum

    Yesterday, we held the ePayments Forum in Harare yesterday where we had representatives from Visa, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Zimswitch, Touch Retail and Zimbabwe revenue authority presenting on some keys issues in the ePayments space in Zimbabwe.

  • Sponsor Profile: Cardpro

    Consider all the plastic cards that you carry in your wallet. You rely on these cards to make purchases and withdraw funds, prove your identity and enter restricted facilities, place phone calls and access medical care, and the list goes on. As smart card, biometric and other new technologies evolve, the power and prevalence of…

  • Sponsor profile: The Paynet and Autopay divisions of Payserv Group

    The Payserv Group is Zimbabwe’s leading provider of Payments and Business Process Outsourcing services targeted at financial and related sectors. The group’s main business units comprises of Paynet Zimbabwe and Autopay Zimbabwe.

  • 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…

  • List of Zimbabwean web start-ups formed in the last 4 years

    This is a follow-up article to my post Why most Zimbabwean Start-ups fail. After reading some of the comments and discussions, I felt the need to share with everyone the list of Start-ups I compiled during my research for the first article. Below is the list, I hope it will help you in whatever way…