Posted inConnectivity

The iPhone 5, a Zimbabwean review

The latest iteration of Apple’s highly successful Smartphone was announced on the 12th of September to mixed reviews. For the most part, a public that has grown accustomed to having their collective mind blown by revolutionary products from Apple was underwhelmed by what was essentially an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary upgrade.
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Posted inConnectivity

#263Chat: From virtual Twitter gathering to live event

If you’re a #263chat regular you probably noticed yesterday was the first Tuesday since #263chat started that the virtual Twitter discussion was not held. The reason, according to the founder, Nigel Mugamu, is that #263chat is going live. Mugamu posted an update on his blog yesterday evening announcing the development.
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Posted inBroadband

Holiday broadband deals: ZOL is giving it all away for FREE

We've been posting over the course of the day today some holiday broadband and call deals local service providers are offering. Some quite good, and some just so so. The best so far has been a half price deal and we thought that was the lowest a provider would go.
Posted inConnectivity

Holiday deals: Telecel slashes international call tariffs

More holiday deal goodness! This time it’s Telecel and it's an international calls deal. Starting 16 December calls to some 12 international destinations have been reduced to 19 cents per minute. Telecel has been advertising the promo since two days ago.
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Posted inBroadband

Econet sort of reduces mobile broadband tariffs

So, what do you do if you’re a mobile operator and your customers have been clamouring all year about your mobile broadband tariffs being too high? Well, if you’re Econet you go ahead and reduce the price but you only make that reduction apply between 12 midnight and 5 AM. You also go ahead and limit it to customers buying data bundles.
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Posted inConnectivity

Holiday broadband deals: PowerTel reduces tariffs by 30%

The Holiday season comes with connectivity goodness! Good to the tune of 30% off the usual $50 in PowerTel’s case. The internet provider announced a few days ago that it’s slashing mobile broadband data tariffs to $40 until 31 January 2013. The price of the modems has also been reduced from $45 to $30 for the same period.
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Posted inConnectivity

Zim information minister calls for regulation of the internet, social media

A report in today’s Herald newspaper says Zimbabwe’ Media, Information and Publicity Minister, Webster Shamu, has called for the “appropriate regulation of the internet and new media platforms”. The Minister, according to the report, is calling for this because the potential of the internet to cause strife in society.
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Posted inBroadband

Holiday broadband deals: Africom offers double data

This deal has been on for a while actually – Since November according to Africom – and luckily for all of us, will be here for at least another month. Or let’s just pray competition forces them, to keep things low. Until January 15 next year, Africom will be giving subscribers double the data they buy on the MiChoice mobile broadband service.
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Posted inConnectivity

Hey, Microsoft does have free email on custom domains

Some two weeks ago, we were whinging like babies about Google killing off its Google Apps free service. We couldn’t imagine a world without credible free email and apps suite for small businesses and we wished Google’s competition would do something about it. Microsoft, as you know, already charges for its online version of the Office Suite, so called Office 365.
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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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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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Posted inConnectivity

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 sponsored by ZOL.
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Posted inConnectivity

CABS website gets hacked

We just got a tip that the Central African Building Society (CABS) website www.cabs.co.zw has been hacked. Visiting the website right now loads the screen we have captured here:
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Posted inConnectivity

Thank you. Yes, you.

It’s been a great year for us. It has. Traffic for the site more than continues upwards. The visitor engagement on the site, one of the things we value most here, increased significantly. With the help of some selfless individuals, Techzim answers is delivering locally relevant tech answers much better than it did a year ago. We delivered some great events. Some directly, and some in partnership with some amazing people and organisations.
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Posted inConnectivity

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 alike. But the question that remains is how far we have really gone with enterprise mobility. To what extent can you stretch your iPad or Galaxy Tab to serve a real purpose in the enterprise structure?
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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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Posted inConnectivity

Press Release: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe appoints new chairman

Veteran American telecoms executive Dr James Patrick Myers has been appointed the new Non-Executive Chairman of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to replace Tawanda Nyambirai, who stepped down this week. Dr Myers is a retired former Vice President for Africa of South Western Bell, now part of AT&T, the world's largest telecoms company by value. He also served as the President of Southwestern Bell International Development Africa (Pty) Ltd from 1985 to 1998 and also served as its Executive Vice President from 1994 to 1995.
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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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Posted inConnectivity

Some pictures from the CSZ “Innovation in Motion” Business Conference

On 30 November the Computer Society of Zimbabwe held a business conference in Bulawayo title "Innovation in Motion". Amoung the presenters at the conference were, Eric Bloch, a renowned Zim economist, Roseline Ntuli, an executive from Zimra, Gerhard Hartman from Sage VIP Payroll in South Africa, Mcebisi Ndlovu from KPMG and Aidan Keates from Realtime Bytes.