iZimbabwe announces business directory
Posted inConnectivity Startups

iZimbabwe announces business directory

Yesterday, iZimbabwe, the new portal by Umuntu media announced the availability of a business directory platform on their website. Business directory means online classifieds in the mould of the Zimbabwe’s leader of online classifieds classifieds.co.zw.
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Posted inConnectivity

The Bulawayo ICT Expo (pictures)

Last week, the Computer Society of Zimbabwe held its first ever ICT exhibition in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair center. The exhibition was organized by the Bulawayo chapter team led by Victoria Phiri, Mduduzi Gwebu and Janet Kahari. According to the organisers, the exhibition attracted 16 exhibitors; Burco Technologies, Realtime, Ministry of ICT, Compu-Pro, Nust, Info-Hut, Macqtech, Speciss College, ZimClassifieds, UCNA, Prodsoftware, Munn Marketing, IwayAfrica, Telone, Africom and the Computer Society of Zimbabwe itself.
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Posted inConnectivity Miscellaneous Startups

Now you can Tweet for a cab in Harare

So, how do you currently call for a cab in Harare when you need one? Give the cab driver a call? An SMS? Does it cost you airtime every time to do this? Do you always get a response on time? If you have a smartphone, (or just a regular internet connection at a desktop) there’s a new service in town you might want to give a try. It’s called Tweet-A-Cab.
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Posted inConnectivity

Techzim giveaway: Brodacom Plug ‘n Go device with 1GB data bundle

Last week, we posted a review of 3 internet (one of them primarily voice) devices that Brodacom is selling with their new mobile broadband. You can read the review here. Spiritage has availed one of those gadgets, pictured below, for a giveaway to a lucky reader. It’s called the Plug ‘n Go and its shelve value is $99.50. This giveaway unit will come loaded with 1 Gigabyte of data. The device will also come with a desk phone for making calls on the Brodacom network.
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Posted inBroadband

Aquiva Wireless latest coverage map: Harare, Byo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare

The last time we wrote about Aquiva was back in February this year when, in an interview with the founders, the company revealed that they were rolling out WiMax base stations in Harare and Bulawayo and that they would be providing voice services as well. Well, since then, according to the company’s latest coverage map it has spread its WiMax network to Mutare, Kwekwe and Gweru. See below. Aquiva Wireless is one of the 12 POTRAZ licensed Internet Access Providers in Zimbabwe.
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Posted inBroadband

Dear Brodacom, please stop with these false claims already

If you’re in Zimbabwe and checked the newspapers yesterday, you probably saw the Brodacom advert above. The advert claims that before Brodacom came along, setting up fixed broadband in Zimbabwe used to cost US $3,500 and that thanks to Brodacom, that figure has been brought down to US $99.50, the price of Brodacom’s Wi-Fi device for small businesses and individuals.
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Posted inBroadband Connectivity

Maybe Africom’s $18 gigabyte bundle really is unsustainable?

When Africom unveiled its mobile broadband service pricing last year in October it was to the delight of a market frustrated by exorbitantly priced internet (in the case of Econet) or just internet that didn’t work much (hello PowerTel). We commented then that on price Africom’s service was “by far a preferable alternative”. We still believe so.
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Posted inConnectivity

A vote of confidence for Telecel

Orascom Telecom have ceased their fence sitting ways with Telecel Zimbabwe in a big way. The Independent reported on Friday that the company will pump in $70 million into Telecel Zimbabwe. This move is very significant for the company beyond monetary value as Vimpelcom (Orascom’s parent) has made a commitment to channel its global resources for the benefit of the local unit.
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Posted inBroadband Connectivity

Review: Brodacom mobile broadband internet

About two weeks ago, we received three mobile broadband (and one of them primarily a voice device as well) from the Spiritage Group company called Brodacom. We got the opportunity to test the three devices over about 6 days, which gave us a more or less clear picture of the performance. We tested the devices in the Harare city center, Alexandra Park in Harare (at the office), a Harare residential suburb called Tynwald North, the Bulawayo city center, and a residential suburb in Bulawayo called Morningside.
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Posted inConnectivity

Local website hosting and buying Zimbabwe

The guys over at Candid Consumerism posted last week that the Buy Zimbabwe people were being hypocritical telling everyone to buy Zimbabwean products yet Buy Zimbabwe itself is not. Buy Zimbabwe won’t eat its own dog food. Its website is hosted in the United States. If they were being sincere, the article says, they’d just host it locally; Buy Zimbabwe would just buy Zimbabwean hosting.
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Posted inConnectivity

Microsoft presents cloud computing solutions at first Open Door event

On Thursday last week IT professionals and Microsoft partners gathered at Rainbow Towers hotel to attend Microsoft’s first Open Door event in the country. The event was held by Microsoft to showcase their latest technologies especially those enabling companies locally to implement cloud computing.
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Posted inMiscellaneous Mobile Money

POSB launches ZimSwitch Mobile powered mobile banking service

Back in march when news first broke that ZimSwitch was working with Telecel to power mobile banking for local banks, the two banks that Telecel confirmed they were working with were CABS and POSB. CABS launched its mobile banking service (branded textacash) in September. As for POSB, ZimSwitch told us exactly month ago the bank was in “live pilot”. Through adverts in the press today, POSB has announced that its mobile banking service is available to the public.
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Posted inConnectivity

The latest Liquid Telecom terrestrial fibre map

We received the latest fibre map that Liquid Telecom presented recently at AfricaCom. The map shows what the terrestrial fibre network’s overall footprint in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and DRC. It’s not clear if all of this is completed but most of it surely is.
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Posted inBroadband

Econet Broadband unleashes Huawei Ideos pair

After we announced the launch of Huawei’s Ideos S7 Tablet in South Africa a few months ago and the company’s stated intentions to conquer Africa with affordable Android devices, Econet Wireless has come out with a double punch. The company has introduced the Huawei Ideos S7 tablet and the Ideos Google phone at $450 and $165 respectively.
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Posted inConnectivity

iZimbabwe goes live

Umuntu Media is on track to deliver on its promise as iZimbabwe.co.zw is now officially live. The company is making good of its $1 million war chest to build local portals across the region and appears to be in a state of continuous improvement. iZimbabwe.co.zw is the third portal it has launched after Namibia & Zamibia, both of which have gained traction.
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Posted inConnectivity

Southern African ICT for Education Summit to be held in Zimbabwe

A Southern Africa ICT for Education summit is set to be held in Zimbabwe in January 2012. The summit will be held under the patronage of the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts & Culture and it’s being facilitated by AfricaBrains. Other sponsors of the summit include Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, NEC, and MacMillan.