Category: e-Commerce
Paynow, the B2B and B2C payments platform celebrating 8 years. Announces USSD code *828#
Paynow has been around for a while now and their business is all around facilitating payments. The service they offer came about to solve 2 big problems. Allowing small businesses to have access to one platform with as many payment options as possible. This then leads to solving the second payment problem on the customer […]
Joina City working on being Zimbabwe’s first shopping mall to open 24 hours a day
The times are pretty convenient. We have the holiday season upon us and we always have last-minute shoppers so this could be that one place where you might be able to get a last-minute Christmas gift. This is of course subject to the retailers within the mall keeping their doors open. In their Facebook post, […]
Hey diaspora, you can now send airtime to Zim via Techzim – check it out
Little things make a huge difference sometimes. Us (the foolish ones) who stayed in Zimbabwe when others left, we know this to be truth. A ten dollar note sent by a relative in the diaspora can mean salvation from several days of going to bed on an empty tummy. Those in the diaspora understand this […]
Zimbabwean wants to take 1 mil traders online and raise US$5 billion, hmmm
E-Commerce company Appletree Digital Commerce, today unveiled the Taking One Million African Traders Online Movement (TOMATO)– its solution to the lack of opportunities for the youth across Africa. “We came across some alarming statistics which inspired us to think differently about how we could provide practical solutions to help young Africans to realise their entrepreneurial […]
NetOne has gone 100% electronic with its airtime sales
State-owned mobile network operator (MNO) NetOne has announced on Twitter that is now only selling electronic airtime through its accredited partners. “We have gone 100% electronic! Get your electronic airtime anywhere anytime via @PaynowZW @Techzim @picknpay @OKZimbabwe @HotRechargeZim @ClicknpayZ and your local supermarkets.” NetOne on Twitter It looks like there has been an immediate response […]
Zim’s biggest streaming service is at ZITF2022
Gateway Stream, the biggest local music streaming service is at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF2022). Well, saying “music streaming service” might be a little disingenuous because they also do pay per view videos, and e-commerce which includes booking hotels, rideshare services, groceries drinks and a whole lot more. The company also does affiliate marketing […]
Zim has a new online store called Kwingy and its data free
E-commerce platforms have been launching left right and centre over the last couple of years because the pandemic brought about a need for businesses to have an online presence but without the hassle of having to engineer a website from scratch. Over the last couple of years or so we saw a number of websites […]
Local remittance service Tumai has a 5% extra airtime, ZESA and data promotion
The remittance game, be it for money, goods and or services has blossomed over the pandemic era even when early projections forecasted a decline because of restricted incomes for the African diaspora. Locally we have been inundated with new services coming to the fore and older ones offering discounts and transaction free periods to entice […]
Tengesai, a free classified directory to sell goods and services online
Some might argue that e-commerce has not taken off in Zimbabwe (in the traditional sense), or it can’t really be tracked because it happening in one shape or another on WhatsApp. Both arguments have their merits because data prices have made it difficult for everyone to participate in e-commerce. And WhatsApp is a bit of […]
If e-commerce is booming in Zim, who’s delivering the packages?
In the sector performance report released by POTRAZ for Q3 2021, we found out that postal and courier services are still on the recovery path. Total volumes pushed fell dramatically in Q2 2020 when the pandemic hit but have been increasing every quarter since that terrible Q2 2020. We are still aways from the pre […]
34% of people in Zimbabwe are not interested in e-commerce
It looks like a good number of people in Zimbabwe don’t care for e-commerce and online services according to Zimstat. In the recently released findings from the 2020 ICT Access by Households and Use by Individuals Survey, 34% of Zimbabweans answered “not interested” to the question about barriers to purchasing goods and services online. Although, […]
The state of eCommerce in Zimbabwe: Why we need our own version of Instacart
I have been watching Zimbabwe’s eCommerce scene for the past decade or so. I like to consider myself an expert or at the very least someone with considerable knowledge of this sector. I will be the first one to admit that things have changed a lot. In the beginning, around 2011 we didn’t even have […]
Kadoma-based startup adds its name to the growing online marketplace scene
ZimCon is a Kadoma-based startup that, like many others, we have covered before, is breaking the myth that everything happens in Harare. The company recently launched an online marketplace that’s similar to how people do business on Craigslist. The main motivation behind the creation of ZimCon’s online marketplace is to broaden the customer bases of […]
Now that Gearbest is gone, here are some alternatives
A few days ago Gearbest’s website went down and the site hasn’t been back up since. There were no announcements or explanations from the owners of the once vibrant Chinese e-commerce store. In fact, a lot of customers who had placed their orders with the site in recent months and weeks are now scrambling to […]
Noted and good day, here is why we use them
Zimbabwean Twitter or Zwitter as it’s sometimes known is an interesting place to be. Unlike the “real world” where people are sometimes afraid to express themselves or engage in certain subjects on Zwitter people are more liberal with their opinion, more fearless and candid. All sorts of topics including politics, health, personal finance, business ideas […]
Selling on social media? Don’t frustrate customers, display your prices
To say Zimbabweans have responded well to the pressures of the pandemic would be an understatement. The adoption of online stores, sellers peddling their wares on social media and WhatsApp are fantastic examples of how adaptable Zimbos are. On top of that, we have seen a number of new e-commerce marketplaces that have sprung up […]
*405# now offers Nyaradzo Life and Funeral packages
You can now top up your Nyaradzo Life and Funeral Plans on Techzim Market and USSD *405#. All you need to do is click the link here and: Enter your Nyaradzo policy number The amount of months you want to pay for and your EcoCash number then click ‘Pay’. Check your EcoCash phone to confirm […]
Buying Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn & more from the diaspora with Wa-Faya
I am sure we are all familiar with Gift Vouchers. At some point, you may have come across them even in passing be they for popular services like Apple Music/iTunes or for those of a certain age who remember when Edgars Vouchers were a big deal. It appears that there is a new service that […]
Looking for headphones or a soundbar? Here are some local special offers
Over the weekend I was scouring the interwebs looking for what is on offer from local gadget stores both online and physical. I came across two product promotions/special offers/deals from stores advertising their wares on Instagram. The first is Medians Legacy that is offering the Oraimo OBS-91D soundbar for US$38 The soundbar has dual 8W […]
Delinq, the latest entry into the Zim online job marketplace
I don’t remember who coined the phrase “the new normal” but whomever that was they are very wise indeed. Even though data prices are speeding away from the average income, the need for online services grows by the day. We have seen this with the deluge of new online services like e-commerce sites, real estate […]
Without proper local payments API, Zim’s eCommerce & Fintech companies resort to workarounds
If you are South African or in South Africa and want to buy something from a local eCommerce shop such as Takealot you have so many payment options when it comes to checking out. Besides the standard Visa/MasterCard options there is: The option to pay locally using Visa/MasterCard. By locally I mean the transaction is […]
Kumba Store is a specialist e-commerce site that has ticked most of the boxes
Before 2020, e-commerce was a dream that was just beyond the horizon in Zimbabwe. Many still preferred to do their shopping in the traditional manner, by going to a physical outlet and collecting whatever it is they wanted to purchase. Now, this isn’t to say that there are those who wanted to shop remotely but […]
*405# Easy way to buy NetOne, Telecel, Econet airtime and ZESA
Dial *405# Techzim Market is now accessible via USSD. This new channel is useful for folks who need to recharge their airtime or prepaid electricity even when they don’t have an internet connection. Even though customers loved the fact that they could top up using WhatsApp, some of them would complain that if they forget […]
Zimswitch needs to strike a balance between ZWL & USD e-commerce
The local merchant should not be left behind in the e-commerce boom.
PayPal confirms merchant wallets for Zim but withdrawals are still complicated
I guess its better than nothing…
Zimswitch partners with VISA to accelerate digital payments in Zimbabwe
There is just one niggle though…