• NetOne launches promo offering free data for recharge data card topups

    This is a mobile broadband promotion set to run from the 3rd of December until the beginning of March 2016. It is offering free data to NetOne mobile broadband subscribers that top up their data using the physical recharge data cards.

  • Telecel sues TelOne for interconnection fees

    This is the latest issue regarding unpaid interconnection fees by State-owned telecoms operators to make it into the public domain, and its something that private sector players like Econet have always complained about. Public sector players are presumably treated differently by the regulator in all matters regarding obligations and payments.

  • Steward Bank’s internet banking down for more than 2 weeks now

    Steward Bank’s internet banking platform has been down for more than two weeks. Information we’ve received says that bank initially took their systems down for maintenance more than two weeks ago, […]

  • Zimbabwean tech hub Hypercube closes, cites challenges with funding

    In a communication sent out earlier today by Hypercube Hub, the team outlined local economic challenges and a failure to secure the funding necessary for the hub to continue its operations as the reason behind the closure.

  • The cost of internet in Zimbabwe – an overview of broadband packages

    However, we are still not at a point where data service costs become an afterthought. Local internet prices are still steep, particularly for the majority of Zimbabweans who use mobile devices to go online. The absence of regulatory intervention hasn’t helped either. All the changes we’ve noticed so far are a reuslt of macro-economic forces…

  • WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook & every other reason why people aren’t calling home

    Something that is contributing to this is the falling international traffic. It’s been noted for fixed network traffic, where, despite a slight increase during the third quarter of 2014, the incoming voice calls have been on a downward trend. Leading up to the end of the second quarter of 2015, this traffic fell by 2.8%…

  • Black Friday, a weak rand and getting your hands on that cheap iPhone

    If you have a reasonable amount fo money, the energy for some online bargain hunting and can pull off a bit of coordination with the odd friend or family member crossing the Beitbridge border post this festive season, you can take advantage of some of the Black Friday deals.

  • Lower revenues & increasing subscribers reflected in latest POTRAZ telecoms report

    Telecoms operators are experiencing a growth in subscriber numbers, but the same subscribers aren’t spending as much. That’s one way of looking at the statistics provided in the latest (Second Quarter of 2015) sector performance report from post and telecoms regulator, POTRAZ.

  • After 2 years of suspension, EcoCash to resume transfers to other networks

    So why were the transfers suspended in the first place?

  • More details of Liquid Telecom’s VOD service ipidi emerge as it nears launch

    According to an updated ipidi website, the VOD service will come with two options – ipidi flix and ipidi boxoffice. The ipidi flix alternative offers monthly access to TV shows and movies and ipidi has made claims of a growing library with “thousands of hours” of content.

  • Telecel & NetOne will not be merged, says ICT Minister. And our thoughts

    The government has no intention to merge Telecel, a mobile operator it just bought, with NetOne, which it already owns the ICT minister, Supa Mandiwanzira revealed yesterday. Here are our thoughts on why this doesn’t make business sense.

  • Liquid Telecom honoured at 2015 AfricaCom Awards

    Liquid Telecom, the Pan-African telecoms carrier which is part of the Econet Wireless Group was in the running for 5 awards and it walked away with the Changing Lives Award. This was in recognition for the free WiFi project executed by Liquid Telecom and the Kenyan Office of the President in the east African country’s…

  • Steward Bank launches agent banking partnership with Zimpost

    This becomes the latest execution of Steward Bank’s branchless growth strategy, which was was first introduced a year ago and has been used as a cost-effective way to establish a presence in residential communities and peri-urban centres. The model has since been adopted by other local banks.

  • Steward Bank to extend its network through Zimpost post offices

    Steward Bank is set to launch a services partnership with Zimpost, the entity that runs the country’s postal network. Under this arrangement, Steward Bank services will be available from post offices around the country.

  • Telecash-Mukuru remittance facility tweaked, subscribers to receive money instantly

    Unfortunately, the Telecash-Mukuru facility hadn’t been providing instant transfer of funds. Recipients had to wait for hours before the money reflected in their wallets. Now, Telecash and Mukuru have improved the system and once the money is sent it will be recieved instantly by the holder of the Telecash wallet.

  • Liquid Telecom named Best African Wholesale Carrier at Global Carrier Awards

    It was fourth in a row for Liquid Telecom when the Econet Group subsidiary was named the best African Wholesale carrier at the recent 11th Annual Global Carrier Awards. This adds to a growing trophy haul for the telecoms company which is also in the running for a host of other awards from other esteemed…

  • Telecel awarded for best customer service in mobile telecoms

    Telecel Zimbabwe was recently honoured at the Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe (CCAZ) Service Awards with a number of accolades that included one for being the best mobile telecoms operator in terms of customer service excellence.

  • prepaid.co.zw becomes latest facility for buying prepaid ZESA using EcoCash

    Pre-paid allows users to send there ZESA account details, the amount they wish to buy and their phone number through an online interface. This is followed by a prompt for payment through EcoCash or Telecash via SMS. You can make transactions of between $2 and $490.

  • Muzinda Hub hosts graduation for developers, launches online jobs platform

    After more than six months of training and skills development, local technology and entrepreneurship skills centre, Muzinda Hub, conferred certificates to its first cohort of software developers and tech entrepreneurs at a graduation ceremony held in Harare. The Hub also launched its online jobs platform which will be offering software development skills.

  • Mxit’s demise, Zimpapers going digital, Tengai/Ownai, ShonaNdebele Tutor: Podcast

    Mxit, the most successful African social media platform so far (in terms of user uptake at least) closed its operations a week ago. in this podcast we discuss some of […]

  • Ownai, the new Tengai experiences brief downtime, some suspect another hack

    Ownai, the new version of Tengai wasn’t accessible for an extended interval, with visitors to the URL ownai.co.zw being directed to a page carrying a 504 Gateway Timeout error message. Usually, this is diagnosed as a network error between servers, but because of the history that Tengai had with security breaches, some people have opined…

  • Here are 6 steps to selling your skill online: Insights from Comexposed

    This idea of online freelancing or e-lancing obviously has a lot of allure for locals that have been at the receiving end of employment contract terminations and a dwindling job prospects. The opportunity is even being investigated by other entities like Econet through its soon to be launched platform Technites.

  • Telecel introduces $2 Twitter bundles

    Telecel has introduced Twitter bundles as part of the social media bundles segment which gives access to the platform for a set period.They are priced at 60 cents for a week’s access and $2 for a monthly subscription and are available on the *480# menu.

  • Traditional banking model challenged as mobile money & internet payments increase

    The latest monthly economic review from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has displayed the strains that the national economy is facing. However alternative channels of payment seem to be rallying with some positive change particularly through increases in card, mobile and internet based payments in the month.

  • Pinterest more popular than Twitter in Zimbabwe

    According to the latest figures from Statcounter Global Stats, as at October 2015, for Zimbabwean internet use, Facebook commands 90.75% of internet traffic directed at social media and Pinterest is the second most popular social media platform with 3.26%, getting a slight lead over Twitter with a 2.82% share of traffic.

  • NetOne rumored to be scrapping benefits & cutting salaries by 28%

    We recently received information from sources close to NetOne that the mobile operator is set to cut salaries by 28% and scrap benefits and allowances.

  • Telecel begins selling ZESA prepaid tokens via TeleCash… in pilot

    “You have been selected to be part of the pilot tests to purchase ZESA prepaid tokens using TeleCash…”

  • Muzinda Hub set to launch online jobs platform

    To celebrate the end of the training for these aspiring tech entrepreneurs, there will be a graduation ceremony at the end of October. But that’s not all. Muzinda Hub will also be using the event to launch a new online jobs platform.

  • Liquid group CEO, Rudnick, speaks on Infrastructure Sharing

    “We have seen in a small number of countries that there is an effort to force compulsory sharing of infrastructures. . . one can only wonder why that kind of policy is being implemented.”

  • EcoCash and MoneyGram officially launch remittances partnership

    Earlier today, we attended the official launch of the partnership between EcoCash Diaspora and the global money transfer company, MoneyGram. The EcoCash and MoneyGram remittance option works in pretty much the same way as the other integrated remittance services such as WorldRemit, Western Union and Chitoro.