Category: Business
[Update] Lance Mambondiani forced to step down from BancABC MD position
For some reason, I am not that surprised. If you’re honest, you will admit that you’re not that surprised too. It is being reported that Dr Lance Mambondiani, BancABC managing director, has been placed on forced leave pending investigations into alleged malpractices. It is highly unlikely that he will be returning to BancABC after that […]
[Update] Zim has dollarised and cash is king in USD world, EcoCash sees it too
When you walk down the streets it appears as if Zimbabwe has dollarised. Join a supermarket queue and you find that many, if not most, have their USD cash in hand. It’s all anecdotal but it does look like it. That’s the thing with using USD, almost all USD transactions are in cash, especially when […]
Telecel is insolvent and facing closure, and needs corporate rescue, High Court application claims
Telecel has been in freefall for years and its deterioration has only been accelerating. We have been gleening this decline in the quarterly reports released by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz). We now have insight from people who have had access to full Telecel financials and the situation is worse than we thought. […]
CIMAS is now ISO/IEC27001:2013 certified. What does that mean?
On the 28th of September 2022, at a low-key but decidedly fancy event, CIMAS Health Group unveiled their ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification. That’s a lot of letters and numbers that I didn’t know but that matter very much to CIMAS. A quick Google search tells me that this standard, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (a mouthful, to be sure) specifies […]
Union Hardware revamps online store, Zimbos abroad can pay and have locals collect
We are spending more of our lives online than ever before. Working, socializing, gaming, entertainment all happens online now. The pandemic accelerated this switch and we find ourselves uncomfortable being in the same physical space as other humans. This has necessitated a change in strategy for all businesses. They now have to contend with a […]
Investment in infrastructure up while voice, data, SMS traffic declines & more from the POTRAZ Q1 2022 report
The Postal and Telecommunications regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), recently released the sector performance report for Q1 2022. Here are the highlights from the report: • Active fixed telephone lines declined by 0.1% to reach 243,123 in the first quarter of 2022, from 243,421 recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021; the fixed tele-density remained […]
Videos & messages of gold coins in circulation are FAKE says RBZ
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) took to Twitter this morning to dismiss videos and messages circulating on social media saying that gold coins are available and are in circulation. Videos and messages circulating on social media purporting or giving out that gold coins are available for sale and that some people already have them […]
Is your startup promoting sustainability? Check out Impact Hub Harare’s Green Economy Startup Project
Are you an entrepreneur working within the green economy? Are you promoting responsible consumption and production? Are you contributing to the fight against climate change? If you answered ‘Yes’, apply to join Impact Hub Harare’s Green Economy Startup Project, supported by Enrich in Africa and funded by the European Union. They are looking for entrepreneurs who […]
TelOne lost US$400K to network vandalism in the first half of 2022
State-owned telecommunications company TelOne has said in a statement that it has lost revenue amounting to US$292,620 in the first half of 2022 due to network vandalism. This figure represents a 64% increase in the instances of thieves making off with TelOne telecommunications equipment when compared to this time last year. “In terms of equipment […]
Agriculture entrepreneurs! There is US$45,000 up for grabs
Pitch AgriHack is a digital agriculture competition focused on accelerating entrepreneurial growth and job creation in the agriculture sector by leveraging advanced technologies and youth participation in Africa’s food security agenda. This eighth edition of Pitch AgriHack invites African businesses to pitch their approach to driving technological innovation in the agriculture sector. Generation Africa, a […]
Forget gold coins, this local firm wants you to preserve value in cattle
Value preservation is the name of the game if you want to exist in Zimbabwe. With the local currency being a meme coin at this point, losing value faster than it can be printed, every Zimbabwean is trying all they can to retain value. To this end, Zimbabweans cannot be faulted for lacking inventiveness. Everyone […]
Game Changers Zim announces finalists for its US$1.5 mil challenge
A couple of months were reported on a program called Game Changers that was looking for 30 local entrepreneurs to give a share of US$1.5 million as well as mentorship, and a full-stack business support system. Well, the finalists have been announced and they come from all 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. Game Changers Harare Finalists […]
Wondering what an Angel Investor is? Tech Hub Harare has you covered
The team over at Tech Hub Harare has announced that it will be hosting a webinar that will be attended by the Angel Investors Network of Zimbabwe this Wednesday starting at 18:00hrs. Speakers for the Tech Hub Harare Webinar include: Bekithemba Nkomo – the Managing Director for Lloyd Corporate Capital which recently announced that its […]
Zim Startups! Check out this European Union Africa-wide accelerator
The SBC Virtual Acceleration powered by EiA (Enrich in Africa) encourages and eases the mobility of entrepreneurs from African or European countries to Europe through various modules. The program promotes skills development, skills transfer as well as the internationalization of innovative solutions! The aim of the call for application is to select 10 startups in […]
Zim Startups! PC hardware firm NVIDIA wants to give you access to its tech!
NVIDIA Inception is a free program designed to help your startup evolve faster through access to cutting-edge technology and NVIDIA experts, connections with venture capitalists, and co-marketing support to heighten your company’s visibility. Through NVIDIA Inception, your startup has access to unparalleled support, ranging from training through NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute, to unlimited access to […]
ZB Bank has rebranded & says it wants to put a smile on its customers’ faces
ZB Bank Zimbabwe yesterday held an event where it unveiled its new company branding and direction to shareholders, customers and the press. Before I go any further, I would like to commend ZB for the most “to the point” presentation I have ever witnessed. The CEO Shepherd Fungura was the only one from the bank […]
Hillcrest ICT Expo: drones, FOOD, rugby and supercomputers
Over the weekend, Hillcrest College hosted its annual Winter Fair and Tech Expo. The event was well attended with companies like Liquid Home Utande Old Mutual Fusertech Precision Arial Axis Solutions Zimbabwe Centre for High-Performance Computing and more exhibiting their wares in the Eastern Highlands. Students and attendants were treated to a show from all […]
Liquid Intelligent Technologies’ Microsoft 365 suite pitch
Liquid Intelligent Technologies is making a concerted push for its Microsoft 365 services locally. If you remember, late last year Liquid Telecom was rebranded in order to represent its new business strategy of not just being a telecoms carrier to being a full suite technology company. For those who may have forgotten, this angle isn’t […]
Zim healthcare startups! Check out this funding opportunity
Health54 is the healthcare dedicated Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) vehicle of CFAO Group (part of Toyota Tsusho), a key player in mobility, healthcare, consumer goods, infrastructure, and energy in Africa. CFAO Healthcare is a leader in the African pharmaceutical market with operations in more than 23 countries in Africa. We believe that the future of […]
TECHNIKARI: ZESA’s strength is TRANSMISSION infrastructure, not power generation with DPA CEO Norman Moyo
On this episode of Technikari, I was joined by Norman Moyo the CEO of the Econet Group subsidiary that Strive Masiyiwa said would be bigger than Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Econet Wireless – Distributed Power Africa (DPA). We discussed the state of power generation in Africa with a particular focus on the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply […]
NMB on a security mission, finally deactivates magnetic stripe cards
There was obviously a serious meeting on security over at NMB Bank. We are now seeing the resolutions that were made at that meeting come to life. Just yesterday we were discussing how NMB now won’t let you log into their mobile banking app unless you pony up your location data. NMB confirmed that they […]
Zim mobility & logistics startups! Check out this funding opportunity!
Mobility 54 is a corporate venture capital of Toyota Tsucho & CFAO group – the largest distribution network in Africa. They are investing in high-potential startups in Africa and for Africa, as well as also providing industrial support to our partners. The initiative is organizing a startup pitch contest – “2022 Digital Transformation Challenge” calling […]
Want to learn from the best? Check out this free US-based startup school
US-based accelerator Y Combinator has announced that it has opened registrations for its free online startup school. “Startup School is completely free. All you need is a device with access to the internet. We believe that all founders should have access to the best startup advice – no matter where in the world you’re building […]
Zim startups! check out this US$25,000 Innovation Competition
The annual Digital Innovation Competition for African Startups is facilitated every year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) in partnership with AmChams across Africa. Each year, the Competition awards talented innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups behind digital products and services that create a positive impact on African citizens. The 2022 winner will receive […]
Second-hand car importers to pay USD146 inspection fee (plus duty)
Anyone in Zimbabwe looking to import a second-hand car will now need to pay ZAR2,310.00 (or USD146) as part of a roadworthiness inspection. This starts on the 1st of June 2022 and the firm that was contracted to do this by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is the EAA Company Limited. The statement by […]
StanChart increases online & bank app transfer limit to ZWL$25 million
Standard Chartered Zimbabwe (StanChart) has announced in a circular to customers that it has reviewed its transfer limit via its online and mobile application banking platforms to ZWL$25 million. The message from StanChart about the transfer limit reads as follows: Dear Valued Client, We are pleased to advise that we have increased our funds transfer limits […]
Zim Startups!! Check out this €5,000 Challenge!
As the climate crisis intensifies and biodiversity loss accelerates, the work of nature conservation non-governmental organisations is becoming increasingly urgent. To tackle this matter, Impact Hub partnered up with the Luc Hoffmann Institute and the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (IUCN CEESP) to launch the Future of Conservation NGOs Innovation Challenge. The challenge […]
Zim Startups! Check out the Social & Inclusive Business Camp
The Social & Inclusive Business Camp is an acceleration and capacity building programme. It is dedicated to entrepreneurs with an impact project on the African continent and willing to scale up. The Social & Inclusive Business Camp is a hybrid support programme, including: 3 months of remote coaching on a dedicated online platform, alternating interactive […]
Need startup funding? Check out this new local crowdfunding platform
On the 13th of April 2022, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe approved Lloyd Crowdfunding, a subsidiary of Lloyd Corporate Capital, to operate within the guidelines of the Fintech Regulatory Sandbox. Crowdfunding for business is the online offering of financial securities of a private company to a group of people for investment. Crowdsourcing makes use of […]
Freshly RBZ approved Access Forex gave us a tour of their ZITF2022 Booth
Earlier this week we reported on Access Forex getting Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) approval to resume domestic (city to city) remittances. During our travels at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF2022), we got a chance to talk to Shingai J. Koti, the Chief Marketing Officer at Access Forex. She was also kind enough to […]