Category: Vehicles & Transportation
A local mobility startup is offering electric vehicles on credit
Electric Vehicles are the future whether we like it or not. A petrol head like myself has had to bend the knee and accept that the future is electric mainly because many of the manufacturers are ending combustion engine vehicle production in the 2040s. This might be something that will take time to be a […]
ZIMRA: Number plates & registration books are now available
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has announced that Vehicle Registration Books and Number Plates are now available. ZIMRA’s statement is as follows: PUBLIC NOTICE:AVAILABILITY AND ISSUANCE OF MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION BOOKS AND NUMBER PLATES FOR IMPORTED VEHICLES The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is advising members of the public who in recent months imported motor vehicles […]
Local rideshare startup Tuverl selected for Smart Cities Innovation Programme
The Zimbabwean startup ecosystem has been doing really well on the international stage. We have seen a number of our own being selected for accelerators and incubators the world over. Among the high achievers, is Tuverl a Bulawayo-based mobility startup. Earlier this year it won US$25,000 from the Havard Innovation Challenge and Tuverl has followed […]
Nedbank Zim relaunches car loans for individuals & companies
The second-hand car market has been effectively neutered by SI 89 of 2021 which banned the importation of second-hand vehicles over 10-years old. This is meant that the ordinary Zimbabwean who dreamt of getting an affordable ex-Jap would now have to contend with the scalpers at the car dealerships. One of the things I banged […]
All-electric Rolls-Royce plane completes maiden flight
Luxury vehicle and aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce announced that its all-electric plane called the “Spirit of Innovation” completed its first flight. The trip lasted 15 minutes but it marked a huge milestone in the aviation industry’s quest to end its reliance on fossil fuels. “This is not only about breaking a world record; the advanced battery […]
Unable to compete with Uber & other apps, SA Taxi Associations resort to violence
In yesterday’s article, I talked about how a lot of traditional businesses are struggling against new data and tech-driven startups. In the western world, such businesses have resort to lobbying and asking for protective laws that do not always make sense to be passed by politicians in their pockets. Some businesses, however, like the South […]
Zim govt distances itself from $2000 Mushikashika fine
A few weeks ago the Zimbabwe Republic Police (soon to be Zimbabwe Police Service) sparked outrage when they announced that passengers are seen boarding non-ZUPCO buses would be fined $2000 ZWL. I called the fine cruel and heartless and wondered what law was being used to implement said fine as it would probably not pass […]
If you own any of these Toyota models, get your airbag checked
If you own a Toyota Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla, Avensis or Yaris that was manufactured between 2005 to 2016 then you need to contact a Toyota Zimbabwe dealership for an airbag assessment. The issue with the airbags (made by Takata) involves faulty inflators and propellant devices that may not deploy correctly in the event of a […]
New ZUPCO buses were caught smuggling goods from South Africa
Recently the government unveiled 50 ZUPCO buses in a bid to solve the transport crisis they created when they banned kombis. It turns out the buses may have been involved in a smuggling incident according to a report in Newsday. The smuggling attempt was thwarted by ZIMRA officials who searched the buses and fined the […]
ZUPCO appears to be working on a bus tracking app for passengers
So, I was randomly scrolling through the Google Play Store, as anyone does when they are bored, and I came across something interesting. While there, and for some reason, I typed in ZUPCO just to see what would turn up and I got three apps in the search results (all of them in early access). […]
You can now top up your ZINARA toll gate card via ZIPIT
With Intercity travel now open to everyone after the President announced that the country will be moving to a level 2 lockdown. The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has rolled out ZIPIT recharges for their IceCash powered toll gate cards (aka Tolling Cards). This is a feature that, to be honest, should have been available […]
BMW’s recyclable concept EV is an interesting take on future cars
BMW made quite the statement at the Munich Auto Show on Monday with its i Vision Circular electric concept car. The vehicle which BMW showed off is a recyclable hatchback and looks to be an attempt from the German carmaker to be one of the most sustainable brands as the world heads into an electric-driven […]
ZUPCO partners with NRZ to launch 3 routes in Harare
Yesterday, I said that the government needs to think outside the box when it came to public transport and well… they responded a lot faster than I expected. ZUPCO has partnered up with the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to launch three routes that are set to be operational this afternoon. We have witnessed long […]
ZUPCO to get 50 buses as govt scrambles to prop up its monopoly
The government has been on the back foot when it comes to public transport over the last two decades. Few remember the days when the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) was a viable means of getting from point A to B simply because the state-run company doesn’t have enough buses. This brought about the rise […]
The $2000 mushikashika fine is cruel and heartless
Last year the Zimbabwean government for no particular reason I can think of decided to create a transport crisis in Zimbabwe. Claiming they wanted to protect the public from COVID-19 they banned kombis and at first, we understood. We were at the height of the first wave and thought the ban was temporary. Later they […]
South Africa’s SARS now piloting a Number Plate Recognition System at Beitbridge
A few weeks ago we learnt that ZINARA had now installed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway to speed things up. It seems they are not the only ones with such a system in the works for just the same reasons. South Africa’s Revenue Services (SARS) is in the process of […]
Reminder: Civil Servants can import vehicles duty-free
Our esteemed government has unleashed so many harsh Statutory Instruments on us sometimes it’s hard to remember the cheerful ones. For example, we can all recall the pain of SI 127 of 2021 and the chaos it brought. If you mention ex-Japs or secondhand vehicles everyone groans because they are very much aware of the […]
Tollgates now have number plate recognition cameras
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has rolled out Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway. “We are introducing the basic short-range cameras at all the tollgates along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway which will recognise the number plate of an exempted car approaching the tollgate at a speed of 70km per hour” Moses […]
ZERA calls for anyone involved in the electric vehicle industry to join registry
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) released a statement calling on anyone participating in the electric vehicle market to join a registry that will allow the authority to disseminate industry information. ZERA’s statement reads as follows : PUBLIC NOTICE Provisional Registration of Electric Vehicle and Charging Station Importers, Dealers, Technicians and Charging Station Installers The […]
Mureza Auto to roll out its first 100 vehicles in Zim and SA
Mureza Auto has announced that it will be rolling out 100 vehicles into the market starting next week. The countries that will be the first recipients are Zimbabwe and South Africa and the news follows of the company being granted a licence to produce cars in South Africa. “Mureza Holdings (Pty) Ltd now a licenced […]
Zim entrepreneur named among top 100 automotive leaders for super car design
Zim businessman/entrepreneur Devine Mafa was named among the Top 100 World Innovators at the International Transportation and Automotive Summit (ITAS) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, USA. If the name Devin Mafa sounds familiar it is because a couple of months ago his company Hende Moto announced that it had secured a US$ 1 million deal […]
Why aren’t Ex-Jap car owners charged half price for radio licences?
If you own a second-hand car imported from Japan (ex-Jap) then you know that you can’t access certain radio frequencies in Zimbabwe. At best you can get two maybe three (depending on where you are) because the FM frequency in Japan is between 76 – 95 MHz. This led us down a rabbit hole of […]
You can now book a ZUPCO intercity bus through VAYA
The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) and Cassava Smartech’s VAYA have announced a partnership that would see customers being able to book intercity buses through the Vaya app and web portal, which is aptly named “VAYA neZUPCO” “In this partnership, our customers and the public can now undertake long-distance travel by simply booking a ride […]
Extending 10-year-old car imports after “the ban” is all about the money
So… yesterday the Ministry of Commerce and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) released a joint statement that extended the grace period for the ban on imports of second-hand cars that are 10 years or older till June 30th 2021. Now, this isn’t too surprising because the reasons for the ban didn’t make a lick of […]
ZIMRA extends grace period for the ban on second-hand cars
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and ZIMRA have released a joint statement extending the transitional period for the importation of second-hand cars that are over 10 years old. PRESS STATEMENT BY MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE ON EXTENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT ON MOTOR VEHICLE IMPORTATION UNDER SI 89 OF 2021 1. Following the […]
ZIMRA requirements for freshly-built & imported vehicle number plates
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has published the requirements for the registration (and number plates) of newly built and imported vehicles. If you have recently imported a car or have bought one assembled locally, you’ll need to bring two copies of the following: ZIMRA vehicle registration/number plate requirements Customs Clearance Certificate (CCC) Form 49 payment […]
Gonyeti, a pan African digital trucking platform
To say long haul logistics is a daunting field to approach is a bit of an understatement. In most cases, potential clients have few avenues to compare and contrast rates for various routes across the continent. On the independent operator side of things, there are a number of companies that dominate the space and carving […]
SA electric vehicle company to set up assembly plant in Zim
Agilitee is a South African electric vehicle manufacturing company that specialises in electric motorcycles and scooters. The company last year embarked on a capital raising exercise and at the same time looking for prospective franchisees in Zimbabwe, Nigeria among other African countries. In an acceleration of events, it looks like Agilitee is now looking to […]
ZIMRA Special Excise Duty rates for change of ownership of second-hand cars
New rates or fees for change of ownership of second-hand vehicles