Category: Podcasts
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 […]
TECHNIKARI with King Kandoro: Zimbabwe’s economy is a Mshikashika
The recent policy measures that were put in place by the government left many scratching their heads as to what is going on in Zimbabwe. The most confusing one of them all was the banning of credit which was overturned, but not as loudly as loans were banned. To get stuck into the immediate and […]
TECHNIKARI Mike Madoda & Barry Manandi: Football before social media in Zim & the state of the PSL
On this episode of Technikari, I was joined by one of the best sportscasting duos out there, Barry Manandi and Mike Madoda. I am sure all of you have heard their voices over the radio or seen them on TV and I had the pleasure of picking their brains about what football was as a […]
TECHNIKARI: A brand is not a logo, it’s a story SO TELL IT!!!
On this episode of Technikari, I was joined by Sherman Baloyi who is the Creative Director at OnaDsgn, a local brand strategy firm to go over why international companies spend thousands to even millions of dollars on their brand/branding or unique identity. The conversation covers how logos have become more than just “we do this” […]
TECHNIKARI: This local entrepreneur wants you to make money selling domains & web hosting
On this episode of Technikari, I was joined by Privilege Nyauta, the founder and CEO of a local web hosting service called PnrHost which has a subsidiary called Resellme, a platform that allows anyone to sell domains and web hosting to businesses and individuals. The latter is the more interesting product, in my opinion, because […]
16 A’s at O-Level, now this young Zimbo has built an e-learning app
Takudzwa Nhongo in 2017, went about trying to find the problem with education in Zimbabwe. In the year prior the ZIMSEC pass rate was 29.96%. To understand what was going wrong, Takudzwa applied to write 18 subjects for his O-Levels and came out of that with 16 A’s and 2 B’s. This was quite a […]
Comrade Fatso vs PVO Bill: they tried to demolish Moto Republik, now coming for business model
On this episode of Technikari, we were joined by Magamba TV co-founder Comrade Fatso to talk about the Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Bill that seeks to regulate Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe. Magamba has been one of the few content companies that have come to strongly oppose the PVO bill and for good reason because […]
Zimbos put the fear of God into NetOne over the ridiculous data prices
Last week NetOne announced a price adjustment for its OneFi data packages that would have seen 80GB going for ZWL$99,000 which was US$800 at the auction rate. After a day-long public outcry, the state-owned mobile network operator saw the light and reduced the prices to a more realistic range. You can listen to or download […]
Wondering why your business’ branding isn’t working? Listen to this…
Brand identity/branding has long since been a cornerstone of any company or collective. If your potential customer can’t distinguish you from a competitor or make you out at all, then sustainability is going to be difficult. This not only speaks to your logo or commercials but also of your internal branding as well as your […]
10% internet tax: the Techzim community has its say
This evening (14/02/2022) we held a Twitter Space to talk about the 10% Excise Duty or Tax that will be levied on internet packages and VOIP services. The news was communicated by ZOL Zimbabwe in an email to customers and we were joined by our community on Twitter to go over it and the impact […]
Denmark via Mazowe built Wa-Faya’s app; Zim developers anything is possible
Takudzwa Shamhu is a local developer who works for Pleo, a Danish fintech firm that creates solutions to manage business expenses. We recently had a chat with him about his very interesting journey from working at Telco after graduating from Chinhoyi University to ending up in Europe. Oh… and how he built Wa-Faya’s app in […]
Zim inventor develops TV that doesn’t need a power cable, Is that even possible?
Zimbabwean inventor Maxwell Chikumbutso has reportedly created a radio-frequency powered television. This means that there is no power cable and the TV is powered purely by radio waves similar to WiFi and Bluetooth. “With an RF-powered generator embedded on a TV set, it is now possible for many people to enjoy watching TV whilst they […]
Diaspora, Shurugwi, content creation & more with King Kandoro
I was joined Uk-based comedian Mukudzei “King” Kandoro Majoni to talk about his recently concluded stand up tour the Prodigal Son. We also talked about, the rigours of life in Zimbabwe, how his diaspora experience is going, stealing twenty-five dollars that were meant for school fees and more. You can listen to or download the […]
2021 the year of Statutory Instruments, smartphone tax, USD discounts & ZSE trading
As 2021 draws to a close we talked about the craziest things that happened over the year, like SI 127, SI 89, the US$50 smartphone tax, data prices and more. You can listen to or download the podcast with the link below. Alternatively, you get a copy by sending the message “podcast” to 0717 684 […]
Giving Econet & others tax breaks is one way mobile data quality can improve
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) recently released its sector performance report for Q3 2021 and yet again data is king in the country with usage continuing on the up because of the pandemic. However in saying that, the quality of data has been iffy for a very long time because there […]
Spiderman No Way Home Review: Not as good as the hype suggests
Yesterday we went to watch the new Marvel blockbuster Spiderman No way Home and judging by the ticket queues, this is a movie that many wanted to watch. The film isn’t bad, far from it. It is a fun ride with plenty of surprises. However, there are some problems with the movie that are hard […]
Second-hand cars: ridiculous prices, preserving value, govt negligence & more
Buying a second-hand car in Zimbabwe is a game of Russian roulette because good looking cars are sometimes on their last legs and the bad ones… well… We took a dive into the second-hand car market on Facebook, car sales and imports, and the different buying habits of the various tax brackets. Additionally, we looked […]
@pablozw1, 23K followers on TikTok in 4 months. The man is an entertainer
Today I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Michael Sibanda or you might know him by his TikTok handle @PabloZW1. He is one of the funniest guys online and it’s no surprise that he has garnered 23.5K followers on TikTok since his first post in August. You can listen to or download the […]
Zim’s e-passports: does the govt have enough material for the tsunami that is to come?
The e-passport rollout is so confusing. When should we start applying for them? What about those who got regular passports recently? Why should we have to pay at CBZ and then at the Passport office? Is this another one of those things that is only being done because we are getting into election season? If […]
Potholes, Honda Fit drivers, service fees & all the headaches of owning a car in Zim
Owning a car in Zim is a bit of an extreme sport. There are no easy breaks because importing one can be a nightmare and getting one locally comes at a ridiculous premium. After getting your car you’ll have to contend with the cost of that first service. This can be a pleasurable experience if […]
Local diaspora retail startup Imets cofounder gives more info on US$20/hr for drivers & more
Early last week we reviewed a US-based local startup called Imets. The company moved into the diaspora grocery remittance space and is akin to Instacart which basically means that you can shop through the isles of OK Zimbabwe, Spar and other local stores, in the diaspora, for your loved ones back home. Or if you […]
Mama Money: the social impact money transfer service
Remittances or money transfers are big business these days, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were projections in early 2020 that forecasted a dip in remittances but the opposite was the case as saw last year Zimbabweans in the diaspora sent back US$1 billion which was a record sum. 2021 looks to be picking up […]
Breaking down cryptos, potential regulation & opportunities in the Zimbabwean context
We held a Twitter Space breaking down a study that was done by The Zimbabwe Blockchain Technology Think Tank called “Towards Virtual Asset Regulation and Adoption of Blockchain Technology in Zimbabwe’s Context”. The think tank itself comprised of Hon Advocate Fortune Chasi, MP Dr Solomon Guramatunhu, MBChB, Opththamology Dr Immaculate Motsi-Omoijiade, PHD (she/her) Cryptocurrency Prosper […]
The strange dynamics of Zim’s property market
Shelter or accommodation is one of those things that bring about anxiety. This could be in an existing property or if you are looking at moving to a new one. We have spoken at length about the local financial system, highlighting the quirks and deficiencies that are presently plaguing Zimbabweans. However, it’s often easy to […]
Gwinyai Nyatsoka: CTO for a US tech firm who wants to teach local devs how to do the same remotely
Gwinyai Nyatsoka is a Zimbabwean developer who made it big teaching on Udemy a few years back. When he shared his earnings, the total came to around US$20K, since that time he has become the Chief Technical Officer at Cobbles, a US-based software development firm. I recently had a conversation with Gwinyai Nyastoka about his […]
Wadiwa Wepamoyo Season 2 on Gateway Streams, it’s Jah Prayzah all over again…
Wadiwa Wepamoyo Season 2 dropped today on Gateway Stream, the same platform that Jah Prayzah dropped his album exclusively a little while ago. And it looks like the problems that plagued the latter’s rollout affected Wadiwa Wepamoyo but with the added dimension of video. You can listen to or download the podcast with the link […]
Zim’s drone expert talks about manufacturing plans & problems with local operating environment
Yesterday, Zimbabwe’s Drone expert Tawanda Chihambakwe pitched his ideas to ZESA and a delegation from Rwanda Energy. After the presentation, I had an opportunity to talk to Tawanda about the plans that he had going forward like manufacturing drones locally. We also talked about the problems that local startups have had in navigating Zimbabwe’s very […]
Simon Nyamuda: Managing Director at 22, now Young Executive of the Year
Today I was joined by Simon Nyamuda, Managing Director of Compulink Systems. His, is an interesting journey of taking the reigns of a business at the tender age of 22 and leading the company forward. His remarkable work has not gone unnoticed as he was named IODz Young Director of the Year for 2019 and […]
This local e-learning startup is aiming to replace brick & mortar schools
Last week we reported on EduXpert, a local e-learning startup that offers lessons for pre-primary all the way to trade schools and tertiary education. The platform does this by giving anyone with the skills and qualifications an avenue to monetise their knowledge and experience. On the students’ side of things, they get to pick and […]
It’s probably expensive because it’s actually good value
Sometimes the price of a product, service or experience is high because it’s taken a lot of time to develop and perfect. This, of course, doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few crafty flea market vendors out there who’ll rip you off. It’s a mess but we tried to make sense of it through our […]