Posted inGadgets & Apps Social Media
Posted inConnectivity
Some noteworthy discussion points from the ePayments Forum
As party of the ongoing discussion following the ePayments Forum that was held exactly two weeks ago, we’ve decided to post here the main issues that came out of the event. You can read more about the event itself on the sub site dedicated for the event here: epayments.techzim.co.zw
Posted inConnectivity
More than 30 YoAfrica hosted websites get hacked at same time
Yesterday morning, we got tipped to the fact that some YoAfrica hosted websites had been hacked. It was just 2 websites so we figured it was anything to worry about but we contacted the company nonetheless and told them about it. As the day progressed, a few more people told us their websites had been hacked and checking where they were hosted all pointed to YoAfrica servers. Well, one server in particular. We told YoAfrica through the day of these developments we were getting.
Posted inConnectivity
Zim Tourism Authority wins Achievers award for a website ‘under maintenance’
Soon after we posted a story yesterday listing the winners of this year’s ICT Achievers Awards, comments to the article have all been negative with the common thread being that some winners do not deserve the awards at all. One such organisation that has been criticized is the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) which got the “Top Public Sector website of the year” award. Their website, www.zimbabwetourism.net was down. Well, under maintenance as the web host's place-holder page above suggests.
Posted inStartups
Our Christmas give-away to Zimbabwean startups: 1 month free advertising
For a while now we've been thinking about how we can provide some startup friendly advertising opportunities on Techzim. We get roughly an average of 6,000 page views a day and we know that could help a Zimbabwean mobile or web startup company get word out there about their great new service. But we also have to pay bills here so we can’t exactly invite startups to free advertising party.
Posted inConnectivity
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.
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.
Posted inConnectivity
Moroccan hacker compromises 3 South African government websites
A report on Tech Central says three South African government websites where compromised by a Moroccan hacker and as of yesterday morning, one of the websites, the social development department’s population.gov.za loaded a black page with a message from the hacker. The website was taken offline and currently still is. The other websites are the Presidential National Commission and the National Population Unit’s.
Posted inBroadband Connectivity
What should concern you about the ITU’s internet regulation meeting
Governments from all over the world are meeting in Dubai since 3 December to discuss regulating the internet or, in other words, censoring it. The meeting, called World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) is organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is an arm of the United Nations.
Posted inConnectivity
This might make you dislike Google very much: No more free Google Apps
You read that right Mr. tech consulting guy that's been helping small businesses get the great email services that Google offered free to small businesses; No more. Google announced the end of the basic Google Apps offering yesterday on it's blog. All new small business that want to use Google Apps will have to shell out $50 per user, per year. The reason:
Posted inConnectivity
Webdev prepares to launch Vpayments integrated hosted shopping cart
About 2 months ago, in line with the new strategic direction for the company, Webdev introduced a hosted cart solution. According to the founder, Garth Drummond, the company is gradually moving away from the usual website development work that has been their work for more than 10 years now into hosted web solutions and the shopping cart is the start. The development is timed along with Zimswitch’s introduction of Vpayments, an online payment solution that makes shopping carts conveniently usable to Zimbabwe’s internet population.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
#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. If you’re not on Twitter yet, this is a good reason to try it.
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.
Posted inConnectivity
Press Release: CBZ becomes first bank to connect to EcoCash
CBZ Bank, Zimbabwe’s largest bank, has become the first bank in the country to get a direct connection to the EcoCash service from Econet Wireless. Customers of the bank who have an EcoCash 'eWallet' can put money into the account using their cell phones. They can also take money from their eWallets and deposit it directly into a CBZ bank account.
Posted inBroadband
Africom partners MTN to offer enterprise cloud hosted services
About two months ago Africom announced that they had partnered MTN purportedly to “to connect Zimbabwe to the rest of Africa and the world” by “delivering leading-edge technology that guarantees exceptional quality of service”. If that’s sounding a bit too vague, it’s ok, you’re not alone. The good news is this though, today Africom held an event to announce the partnership to their business customers. MTN Business Partner Manager Richard Kabeya was present at the launch.
Posted inConnectivity
New blog ZimboKitchen.com makes local recipes available online
Blogs providing content on various topics are launched every now and then in Zimbabwe; Even though most of the blogging is everyday average stuff, once in a while you come across a blog that stands out on quality of content, local relevant content and most of all, consistency. This is what strikes you most when you visit a new local food blog ZimboKitchen.com. It’s easy to see they are paying attention to these things.
Posted inConnectivity
Facebook takes on WhatsApp, Kakao Talk, WeChat and their friends
The news of the day yesterday was that Facebook is looking to buy WhatsApp, and today, well the angle has changed a bit; Facebook is building, and has launched what really looks like its own WhatsApp. A brief post on Facebook’s news page today announced the introduction of “A New Way to Sign Up for Messenger for Android”
Posted inConnectivity
How Grade 7 like multiple choice could solve the constitution making process and beyond
Zimbabwe is in the process of drafting a new constitution, this is a follow up to the GNU agreement passed in the year 2008. As we are all familiar with by now, the constitution making process has been a long and excruciating journey. It started with “crowdsourcing” - to use the modern term - followed by proposals coming from political parties and lobby groups.
Posted inConnectivity
More problems for regular SMS: biNu credits now available locally
SMS as we know it today, or rather as mobile network operators abuse it today, needs to go away. It’s so damn expensive. US 9 cents just to send 140 characters is undoubtedly the most costly means to communicate electronically today. And thankfully it is going away.
Posted inConnectivity Startups
Jumpstart event: Panel discussion on tech entrepreneurship
One of main objectives when we founded the Jumpstart initiative earlier this year was to “connect startup ICT entrepreneurs to mentors that can guide them on building successful businesses.” We are therefore happy to announce that next week, we’re will host an event to that realises that specific objective of mentorship. On the evening of Thursday, 6 December 2012, we will have 4 entrepreneurs and technical executives from some of the largest companies locally as panellists in a discussion on tech entrepreneurship challenges faced locally and strategies to overcome them.
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.
