What the deals and the data mean
dotzedw’s analysis of companies, markets and policy across Southern Africa. Every article links to the country data, maps and deals behind it.
EcoCash might finally be seeing Opportunity in regulation
EcoCash, Zimbabwe’s largest Mobile Money Operator, recently announced that it is undertaking a wider rollout of its change solution for retail and other operators. This development is significant because the United States Dollar (USD) is legal tender in Zimbabwe and remains the preferred currency for value preservation among consumers and businesses after a decade and…
12 November 2025 · 5 min read · ZWE
TN Cybertech Bank: Is Nyambirai being coy about the possibilities?
Perhaps Tawanda Nyambirai is managing expectations, or maybe it is how he is communicating TN Cybertech Bank’s aspirations. Calling it just a neobank does not do enough justice to the ambitions that the bank has. “Banks are heavily invested in infrastructure, the branch network, which is the traditional mode of delivering banking services. We said…
11 November 2025 · 7 min read · ZWE
Beyond Borders: The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol’s Infrastructure Problem
Perhaps the most ambitious of all the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) protocols is the one on digital trade. Bringing Africa together under a single trade framework is already a monumental undertaking, but attempting to integrate the continent’s fragmented digital ecosystems into that greater ambition takes the challenge to an entirely new level. “The…
24 September 2025 · 4 min read
The OK Zimbabwe Revival Plan is missing a key element
We have had a couple of weeks to reflect on what has emerged from OK Zimbabwe and its Revival Plan. On the face of it, it is coming from a high-level or “we need to reassure investors” point of view, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. The plan unveiled by returning CEO Willard…
23 September 2025 · 4 min read · ZWE
Hungry Lion enters Zimbabwe: For the love of Fried Fowl and Fries
Another player has entered the Zimbabwe Fried Chicken Wars. Hungry Lion has now come into the country with its first outlet at Greenfields Shopping Complex. The Shoprite subsidiary is no stranger to Southern African expansion because it operates in five countries in the region, namely, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), and Angola.…
1 August 2025 · 5 min read · ZWE
How Electrosales Zimbabwe Cracked a Major Retail Problem with One Simple Fintech Solution
Despite all of its flaws and troubles, Zimbabwe is an excellent case study nation for the length and breadth of digital financial services “innovation”. If you were wondering why innovation is in quotation marks, it is mainly because, for some readers across the world, what is to come is not necessarily new, or can even…
18 June 2025 · 8 min read · ZWE
SME Digital Payments in Zimbabwe Remain the Greatest Fintech Opportunity
Much has been done for Peer-to-Peer transactions in Zimbabwe, what with mobile money’s charge in the 2010s and what we have seen from Simbisa’s InnBucks and Old Mutual’s O’Mari in the sphere of digital wallets in the new decade. The emphasis of P2P transactions has created a reservoir of digital financial instruments that have stopped…
4 June 2025 · 6 min read · ZWE
Why More Retailers Might Follow Transerv’s Container Store Blueprint in Zimbabwe
Axia Corporation’s automotive parts and vehicle consumables subsidiary, Transerv has taken a very different approach to retail trade in Zimbabwe. In 2024, Transerv opened eight new retail stores in the Southern African country. This, in and of itself, is not interesting. Zimbabwe’s retail industry continuously opens stores yearly because the major metropolitan cities are growing,…
2 June 2025 · 5 min read · ZWE
Why Choppies Exited Key African Markets: Insights into Retail Scaling Challenges
The Chopdat family couldn’t have believed that their Wayside Supermarket (now known as Choppies) would, in 22 years, be challenging some of the biggest retail market brands across Southern Africa. More so that ground zero for one of the (for a time) most rapidly growing retail chain brands was Lobatse, a city that is the…
24 April 2025 · 14 min read · ZWE, ZAF, KEN
Post-Diamond Botswana: Opportunities for entrepreneurs & investors
When we published Botswana’s Trade Profile, one of the things we highlighted was Botswana’s over-dependence on diamonds: “…the bulk of Botswana’s trade is linked to the diamond industry. As of 2022 (most recent data from World Integrated Trading Solution), Diamonds made up a significant 86.8% of all exports.” – Botswana Trade Profile: Diamond in the…
30 January 2025 · 9 min read · BWA
Unlocking credit: The alternative data expanding access to business loans
We’ve long felt that unlocking credit in African markets is key to empowering businesses and driving consumer spending in African markets. Last year we looked at the story from two lenses: This year we highlighted the need for participants in housing markets in the (SADC) region to encourage lenders to take on more risk when…
24 January 2025 · 6 min read · SYC, AGO, ZMB
Southern Africa’s urgent need for low-cost housing explored
Southern Africa’s housing markets present a compelling, albeit complex, landscape for investors. While challenges such as fluctuating building material prices and persistent housing supply gaps exist, the region’s burgeoning urban populations offer significant opportunities for those willing to navigate these intricacies. Over the last decade and a half, rural-urban migration has been…
20 January 2025 · 6 min read · ZWE, MOZ, NAM
What’s holding back Southern Africa’s remittance market?
Remittances play a significant role in shaping not only the movement of money across Africa but also the operation of entire economies. As of 2023, personal remittance receipts in Lesotho were as much as 23.67% of the country’s GDP – one example illustrating how important cross-border remittance activity can be to an economy. Whilst Lesotho…
10 January 2025 · 8 min read · AGO, LSO, ZWE
OK Zimbabwe & the cautionary tale of missed opportunities
The initial premise of this report was completely different, we were going to look at the factors causing the decline of retail in Zimbabwe. However, in the course of research, we came across something that was said by Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, George Guvamatanga about OK Zimbabwe, one of the country’s…
9 January 2025 · 25 min read · ZWE
The price of neglect: 20 years of falling revenue in Zimbabwe’s stone sculpture industry
It’s hard to think of arts and culture in Zimbabwe without thoughts veering towards the country’s storied sculpture. Stone sculpture particularly feels tied to the very essence of being Zimbabwean with the Great Zimbabwe city housing eight soapstone birds that were discovered among its ruins. “Although their precise significance is still unknown, these sculptures remain…
18 December 2024 · 10 min read · ZWE
5 more years of SWAPO: Namibia inequality & economy in numbers
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah from The South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party joins 22 other women who have held the position of head of state of an African country. Namibia’s president-elect has significant challenges to address as she assumes her role as the leader of, I think, SADC’s most interesting country. First, Namibia is a paradox…
12 December 2024 · 7 min read · NAM
How are national budget funds put to use in Southern Africa? (Part 1)
With the African Development Bank recently estimating that African countries have a financing gap of over US$400bn. With this limited funding in mind, it’s imperative that the few resources that African states have are allocated in a manner that makes sense. That’s where national budgets come in. These are a critical tool for addressing the…
11 December 2024 · 3 min read · BWA, ZAF, ZWE
Lobito Railway: Biden’s Visit to Angola is a statement to China
President Joe Biden’s visit to Angola marks the first visit of any leader from the United States to the Southern African country. This trip, which is among his last actions as US President, is a display of intent concerning US – Africa trade because US$2.3 billion for the Lobito Atlantic Railway and Port Infrastructure is…
5 December 2024 · 7 min read · AGO, COD, ZMB
South Africa Trade Profile: Africa’s most diverse economy
Much ado has been made about the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The trading agreement which came into effect in 2019 – is meant to create larger markets for citizens and entrepreneurs in Africa’s 55 states by reducing barriers to trade and so forth and so on. We’ve heard most of the rhetoric around…
3 December 2024 · 4 min read · ZAF
Trump Tariffs: Which Southern African nations are at risk?
With Donald Trump recently winning the USA presidential election and returning to the White House on the 25th of January 2025, a lot has been made of his tariff policy and the potential beneficiary or deprived states. We figured we would look at the historical trade trends between countries in the SADC region and the…
2 December 2024 · 5 min read · ZAF, BWA, MUS
Botswana Trade Profile: Diamond in the rough
Much ado has been made about the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The trading agreement which came into effect in 2019 – is meant to create larger markets for citizens and entrepreneurs in Africa’s 55 states by reducing barriers to trade and so forth and so on. We’ve heard most of the rhetoric around…
28 November 2024 · 4 min read · BWA
Tanzania Trade Profile: A decade of deficit
Much ado has been made about the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The trading agreement which came into effect in 2019 – is meant to create larger markets for citizens and entrepreneurs in Africa’s 55 states by reducing barriers to trade and so forth and so on. We’ve heard most of the rhetoric around…
25 November 2024 · 4 min read · TZA
Zimbabwe’s dilemma – a stubborn preference for foreign currency
About a week ago I received a call from a West African media practitioner looking to understand why Zimbabwe is perpetually in crisis mode when it comes to its currency and why the country can’t simply adopt local tender and be done with it. As someone steeped in context, I took him through the anecdotes…
20 November 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Zambia trade profile: The copper curtain
Much ado has been made about the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The trading agreement which came into effect in 2019 – is meant to create larger markets for citizens and entrepreneurs in Africa’s 55 states by reducing barriers to trade and so forth and so on. Most have heard the rhetoric around it…
18 November 2024 · 4 min read · ZMB
The Hidden Power: Botswana’s stake in South Africa’s Automotive Industry
Vehicles are the fifth most traded product class in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the leader in that arena by some distance in South Africa which produced over 600,000 vehicles as of 2023. South Africa doesn’t only stand head and shoulders above the rest in vehicles but the entire transport equipment sector in…
13 November 2024 · 2 min read · BWA, ZAF
The economy Boko is inheriting from the Masisi Administration in Botswana
Botswana’s newly elected President Duma Boko inherits an economy amongst the most stable in the Southern African region. One thing of particular importance is that for a country with a population of just two and a half million people, Botswana has a GDP per capita of US$7,000, which is the best of any economy on…
12 November 2024 · 4 min read · BWA
Botswana’s new government: key challenges, according to data
I’ve lived in a single country for the majority of my life (Zimbabwe), and every time election season comes by, the nature of conversations around politics rarely leans into data. There’s a lot of frustration from those opposing the people in power and a lot of rebuttals from those in power claiming progress is being…
8 November 2024 · 8 min read · BWA
How Mauritius used policy to become Africa’s top business destination
Mauritius's commitment to streamlining business processes has not only attracted investment but also empowered its citizens.
4 November 2024 · 7 min read · MUS
Why digital payments failed to gain traction in Zimbabwe’s public transport market
Shifting urban public transport to digital payments could propel Zimbabwe toward a cashless economy, as it remains one of the last strongholds of cash use. What has stopped past efforts?
31 October 2024 · 20 min read · ZWE
Namibia’s housing crisis: Causes, consequences, and solutions
Namibia has an estimated housing backlog of over 300,000 units. We explore this deepening crisis
28 October 2024 · 5 min read · NAM
Malawi’s mobile network market: What makes new entrants so hesitant…
What makes Malawi's mobile network market so hard to crack?
21 October 2024 · 3 min read · MWI
Venture Capital in Zimbabwe: Local & international funds that once supported MSMEs
Zimbabwe had a thriving Venture Capital space in its infancy. So who were the actors and factors?
7 October 2024 · 13 min read · ZWE
NetOne has nearly 2 million customers it is not chasing
NetOne could work with the tourism authority to provide competitive telecoms services for visitors coming into Zimbabwe.
16 September 2024 · 6 min read · ZWE
Is southern Africa’s ticketing market ready for disruption?
Presently, southern Africa's online ticketing market is dominated by a few major players - what informs that and is there room for change?
28 August 2024 · 9 min read · ZAF, ZWE, ZMB
Will natural gas be a catalyst for Zimbabwe’s development?
What's fueling the hype around natural gas discoveries in Zimbabwe?
22 August 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE, MOZ, DZA
TelOne: Mutapa Investment Funds’ most uniquely challenging portfolio company
TelOne stands as Mutapa Investment Fund's most challenging asset. The telecommunications company's needs are seemingly straightforward, yet addressing them requires careful consideration and a strategic approach.
20 August 2024 · 13 min read · ZWE
Takealot: A Blueprint for eCommerce Success in Africa
Takealot is the most sustainable example of online retail we've seen in Africa. Here's what their evolution says about the industry
15 August 2024 · 5 min read · ZAF
The Zimbabwe National Venture Capital Fund is revisiting a post-colonial govt project
Is the Zimbabwean government returning to the deliberate support and interest in small indigenous businesses seen in the '90s?
10 August 2024 · 12 min read · ZWE
How FoneYam rental service is driving phone sales for South African retailer Pep
By offering affordable smartphone rentals, Pep is expanding its customer base and driving demand for new devices.
1 August 2024 · 2 min read · ZAF
Is now the time to invest in Southern Africa’s real estate? – .zedw roundup #4
Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we bring you market insights from different industries condensed into a quick and informative read. Buckle up, because whether you’re a business leader, policy fanatic, or simply curious about the region, this newsletter has something for you. Stay informed, stay engaged, and have a good weekend! Sign up to…
26 July 2024 · 5 min read · ZAF, MWI, MOZ
The price of growth: How fundraising impacts startup share structure (Startup Autopsy)
We analyse how startup shareholding changes over time using a case study local to Africa - WhereIsMyTransport
24 July 2024 · 4 min read
Can Starlink bridge the access gap in SADC schools? – .zedw roundup #2
Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we bring you interesting insights from different industries condensed into a quick and informative read. Buckle up, because whether you’re a business leader, policy fanatic, or simply curious about the region, this newsletter has something for you. Stay informed, stay engaged, and have a good weekend! Sign up to…
19 July 2024 · 6 min read · ZMB, ZAF, RWA
Half the year is up, where is the startup investment?! – .zedw roundup #1
Welcome to .zedw Roundup – where we bring you interesting insights from different industries condensed into a quick and informative read. Buckle up, because whether you’re a business leader, policy fanatic, or simply curious about the region, this newsletter has something for you. Stay informed, stay engaged, and have a good weekend! Half the year…
12 July 2024 · 4 min read · BWA, ZAF
How WhereIsMyTransport Found Product-Market Fit: Startup Autopsy (Part I)
The question, “What is a startup?” is oft-asked and in these parts of the world, the debate tends to end up with people arguing about whether we have startups or if they are mostly SMEs. We decided to take it upon ourselves and cover some startups from the SADC region in order to help make…
8 July 2024 · 7 min read · ZAF
InnBucks goes from transaction fees to monthly charge – why the shift in business models?
Mobile banking provider InnBucks recently announced that they would be doing away with transaction fees and having customers/users pay a one-time $1/month fee and proceed to transact to their heart’s content. Source: InnBucks/Via X We sent questions to InnBucks regarding whether or not this was a permanent shift in model or just a promotional offering…
2 July 2024 · 11 min read · ZWE
Navigating Debt: an analysis of SADC member states’ debt positions
In 2023, reports of Africa launching its own credit rating agency – ACRA (African Credit Rating Agency) picked up steam. The continent’s motivation for doing this is relatively simple – filling out the development financing gap they ascertain is holding most African countries back. Whilst we explored the motivations behind solving the problem, it would…
28 June 2024 · 9 min read · ZMB, MWI, AGO
Namibia Visa Squeeze: Introducing policy friction to a near US$1 bil industry
Squeezing an industry that's worth nearly a billion USD and third largest earner GDP wise must have compelling reasons and cause
27 June 2024 · 6 min read · NAM
How InDrive gets its commission in Zimbabwe’s cash-based economy
InDrive has been able to navigate Zimbabwe's difficult cash-based economy by cleverly choosing not to be an active participant in it... Well... Sort of...
20 June 2024 · 4 min read · ZWE
SADC on the Move: Logistics capacity comparison across Southern Africa
Earlier this year, we published a report exploring the slow growth of e-Commerce in the SADC region. In that piece most of our analysis relied on profiling the types of people who lived within the region, the profitability of eCommerce ventures and the broader economy within the region and how it impacts digital commerce. What…
15 June 2024 · 9 min read · ZAF, BWA, AGO
Yango, Bolt, and InDrive: The market opportunity & battle for dominance in Zimbabwe
What opportunity does Yango have as it enters a market that is saturated with the population in-large part unable to access or afford it's services?
10 June 2024 · 8 min read · ZWE
The Challenge and Opportunity of eWaste Management in Southern Africa
Africa only has 13 countries with eWaste specific policies (24% of the continent) lagging far behind the global average of 81 countries (41.7%)
23 May 2024 · 12 min read · NAM, BWA
Analysing Angola’s housing divide: Luxury apartments and a struggle for basic shelter
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Above is the now-famous quote from the…
13 May 2024 · 13 min read · AGO
How WoolWorths grew their online retail business by 162% in 8 years
Online retail is a long-standing area of interest for retailers/merchants. Having observed the phenomenon rise to prominence in countries like China and the USA, businesses all over the world are trying with varying degrees of success to embrace this method of transacting. Africa is no exception though we recently outlined the factors presently limiting e-commerce…
22 April 2024 · 11 min read · ZAF
Assessing the impact of Universal Service Funds in expanding African internet access
During the late 2000s, the idea that telecoms services should be accessible to the widest number of people at affordable prices started to take root in Africa. The mechanism designed to ensure this goal would become a reality was the Universal Service Fund (USF). By 2013, Africa had over 20 USFs and most recent data…
11 April 2024 · 12 min read · SWZ, GHA, TZA
Payment system expected to reduce cost of remittances goes live in SADC region
The Transactions Cleared on an Immediate Basis (TCIB) is the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) instant payments solution for the region and a first of its kind in the region. It works on a real-time, interoperable, cross-border payments scheme that offers financial services (both banks and non-banks) corridors to expand the reach of convenient financial…
7 April 2024 · 4 min read · ZAF, ZMB
Zimbabwe unveils new ZiG currency alongside 2024 Monetary Policy
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) unveiled the 2024 monetary policy statement – and as expected introduced a draft of new currency measures in an attempt to tame the country’s runaway inflation. The currency which will be called the ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) will come into effect on the 8th of April. The Central Bank announced…
5 April 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
USA to fund $2.3bn railway in SADC region to secure resources for climate-friendly future
The United States recently signed an MOU with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Trafigura to build out the Lobito Railway Corridor – a US$2.3bn railway line that will span 2600 KM and connect 3 countries within the SADC region i.e Angola, DRC and Zambia. Construction on the railway line is expected to begin in…
28 March 2024 · 4 min read · COD, ZMB, AGO
African energy startups raised more funding than ever before – what happened to the ‘funding winter’?
In 2020, Startups in Africa’s energy sector managed to raise US$70,306,000 in funding and all startups on the continent managed to raise US$700 million in what was described at the time as a “record year” by Disrupt Africa. At the time everyone was well aware that there was still room for growth in funding for…
25 March 2024 · 7 min read · ZAF, ZWE, COD
BancABC dismisses over 50% of management staff as Zim’s Q1 bloodbath continues
According to a well-placed source, we have learned that BancABC has begun “retrenching” over 50% of its management staff. Saying these individuals were laid off is a little kind because there are, from the documents we gleaned, dismissals on grounds we can’t quite understand… The respondents received documents that revealed that they were going to…
21 March 2024 · 2 min read · ZWE
The E-commerce gap: Stats explaining why Africa Isn’t shopping online
Back in 2013, McKinsey indicated that by 2025 Africa had the potential to make US$75bn in annual eCommerce sales. 11 years have passed and Statista noted that eCommerce was a US$28bn market in 2023 which begs the question – what’s going wrong? Why is the continent US$47bn dollars of the mark and why is eCommerce…
19 March 2024 · 5 min read · NGA
Zimbabwe & its plan for the AfCFTA: Here’s what we know…
Zimbabwe and its approach to the AfCFTA can be described, from the outside looking in, as, at best, tepid. Beyond the ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, there has been little movement inside Zimbabwe to seize whatever opportunities the AfCFTA has to offer. What can Zimbabwe offer right now and quickly? At…
13 March 2024 · 4 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Taking root or passing trend: Southern Africa’s high-performance computing industry
From climate change mitigation strategies to personalised medicine needs, southern Africa faces complex challenges. The “developed” world has been using technology and high-performance computing (HPC) to solve such problems and thus the question arose – are HPCs being utilised in Africa and to what degree are we reaping the benefits of this technology? HPCs as…
12 March 2024 · 12 min read · ZAF, NAM, ZWE
Which social media platform is best for Southern African businesses in 2024
Businesses have been inundated with the slogan, “adopt social” along with all the benefits that will come only if they adopt a social-media-native approach. One piece of the puzzle that the social media evangelists tend to leave out is the size of the pie they are pitching. Business owners and (sometimes digital marketers) end up…
5 March 2024 · 6 min read · NAM, ZAF, BWA
Spotify’s relationship with Africa
Spotify is in an elite group of companies as one of the world’s largest music streaming platforms. The company’s rapid expansion strategy has seen it focus on more emerging markets including Africa’s young population of music lovers. As of 2024, Spotify has over 236 million monthly paying subscribers. In 2021 alone, Spotify grew by more…
29 February 2024 · 3 min read
AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol: Startups, your Continental competition is now in your backyard
The blessing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol is that it seeks to further push the growth of e-commerce on the continent. On the other hand, the curse with the move is that it effectively means that companies like Jumia and Takealot who were restricted to certain markets, for one…
29 February 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
SADC countries & AI readiness: Who is most prepared for tech’s next frontier
Over the last 18 months – Artificial Intelligence (AI) has started to gain momentum that is making it next to impossible for most of us to ignore it… Most people working in a skilled capacity are currently forced to contend with the question – what will work look like 5 to 10 years from now?…
28 February 2024 · 9 min read · MUS, NGA
AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol: Will it address e-commerce in the African context?
The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol has been ratified at the African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopia. This represents one of the most pivotal developments for continent-wide digital trade in Africa. What this protocol offers is a framework for Africans to do business with markets that were inaccessible for one reason…
26 February 2024 · 4 min read
[Bitesized Insights] Starlink now has an authorised distributor in Africa – what’s next?
Earlier this month – it was announced that Starlink is entering into partnership with TD Africa, a Nigeria-based product distributor: What we know about TD Africa TD Africa was established in 1999 and the company describes themselves as a “pioneer ICT distributor in West Africa”. The TD Africa website highlights that the company currently distributes…
23 February 2024 · 2 min read · NGA
[Bitesized Insights] Consumers can now pay for their fuel at ZUVA service stations using Innbucks
Innbucks recently announced a partnership with ZUVA service station which will allow customers to pay for their fuel using Innbucks. Since arriving on the scene Innbucks has covered a lot of ground becoming one of Zimbabwe’s fastest growing money transfer services. When it comes to the local fast-food industry, Simbisa is head and shoulders above…
22 February 2024 · 2 min read · ZWE, COD, GHA
IMF Urges Zimbabwean government to interfere less with FX Rates and prioritise Ease-of-doing business
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently completed a mission to Zimbabwe and we decided to take a sober look at the institution’s point of view on what is happening in the country’s economy along with some of their proposed solutions. IMF Mission – what and why? Essentially – IMF Missions are activities undertaken by the…
21 February 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
[Interview] How Mugonat Systems is addressing Africa’s software development challenges
Going into 2024, Africa’s software market is projected to generate US$8.62 bn. Comparatively, the USA is expected to generate US$353.5bn during the same period – a seismic 41x differential. To try and contextualise the nature of Africa’s software industry, we interviewed Njabulo Sandawana, a Business Development executive at Mugonat Systems – a Zimbabwe-based but Africa-facing…
19 February 2024 · 10 min read · ZWE
MultiChoice’s Diversification Gamble: The Future of Entertainment & Betting?
Right at the beginning of the year, MultiChoice Group announced the launch of SuperSport Bet – a partnership between MultiChoice and KingMakers to launch a sport and casino betting platform in South Africa. To most it seemed random – perhaps an opportunity to hop on and capitalise on the betting industry’s current momentum. The keen-eyed…
13 February 2024 · 7 min read · ZAF
Zim Youth Parliamentary Caucus: Policy Recommendations for Startups, SMEs & the Informal Sector
For the very first time, people aged under 35 will have representation in Parliament to further causes that have been overlooked or not lobbied with the correct context. The Youth Caucus, which is now almost a year old, has been rather quiet regarding the initiatives it wants to bring about. Meet the representatives Province Candidate…
8 February 2024 · 6 min read · ZWE
Can election outcomes be forecasted using data? Lessons from Zimbabwe’s 2023 Election
2024 promises to be a very eventful year on the African continent, with several countries holding elections. Having experienced an election in the age of AI, misinformation, and data analysis, I thought I would share briefly how the interplay of these and other disciplines may produce unexpected insights. In our case, we stumbled upon a…
7 February 2024 · 4 min read · ZWE
Africa’s Unicorn Hunter: Understanding Launch Africa’s criteria for funding Startups
In 2023, startups all over the world raised $285 billion. If we narrow it down by region and I asked you to guess the percentage of that money that found its way to Africa – what would be your guess? Seven percent? Heck maybe twelve percent? The more optimistic among you would hope that it’s…
7 February 2024 · 6 min read · TZA, ZAF
Canal+ is looking to take over MultiChoice – here’s what we know
Canal+ Group is looking to take control of MultiChoice Group and is offering R105/share – a figure noted as being 40% above the current share price. Canal already owns 31.7% of MultiChoice and has progressively been increasing its shareholding in the sub-Saharan African media company. In September 2022 Canal+ increased its stake from 20.1% to…
1 February 2024 · 4 min read · ZAF
[Bitesized Insights] South Africa has entered the AfCFTA chat: First SACU nation to ship under free trade agreement.
SADC’s biggest economy (US$408 Billion) has started its preferential trade under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). What this signifies is more than just a ceremonial move by South Africa but what seems to be a proper commitment to the AfCFTA because South Africa is the first Southern African Customs Union…
1 February 2024 · 2 min read · ZAF
Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions in Zimbabwe: Takura & Innscor are the big movers
Earlier this year we explored why Zimbabwe’s merger and acquisition activity was on a historic pace during the first half of 2023. This article is a follow up to that previous effort to further understand the historical trends that preceded that 6-month period. In order to do so, we went through competition and tariffs reports…
31 January 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Zambia SME Policy Revolution: A model to regulate Africa’s informal sector?
The 2008 Zambia SME policy is a quiet revolution on how to formalize the informal sector. The deliberate and patient policy has garnered measurable results through the relatively honest reporting from the Zambian Government’s Agencies. Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the global economy and their importance is underscored by the fact…
30 January 2024 · 20 min read · ZMB
InnBucks-ZimSwitch integration to deepen: Why now and what does it mean for consumers?
Recently, a tweet from Zimbabwean stockbroking firm EFE Securities broke the news that InnBucks was being integrated into the national switch – ZimSwitch. Simbisa Brands’ mobile money service, Innbucks is now included on Zimswitch. The inclusion, long advocated for by users, facilitates smoother interactions with other mobile money operators and banks. EFE Securities [Twitter] Whilst…
27 January 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Will Bolt’s entry shake up Zimbabwe’s ride-hailing landscape?
“Hwindi used to offer the best payouts but since Rida and InDrive came into the equation they’ve had to go lower. The apps are now more or less in the same range now…” This was one of the insights my InDrive driver shared with me on a recent trip… You see something interesting is happening…
25 January 2024 · 8 min read · ZWE
Why African farming needs more hardware than software
Africa has potential to become a global leader across various industries as the continent is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and human capital. Agriculture production is essential to the eradication of poverty and economic prosperity with 51.76% of the Sub-Saharan African population living in rural and communal farming areas. Agriculture contributes to 30%-60%…
24 January 2024 · 6 min read · KEN, ZAF, ZWE
[Bitesized Insights] Consolidation Power Play: Ukheshe’s 100% Acquisition of EFTCorp Explained
It was recently announced that Ukheshe International has acquired 100% of EFT Corporation Limited (EFTCorp) from parent Loita Transaction Services (LXS – a deal that will have a significant bearing in Africa’s fintech landscape. EFT Corporation is an African payment solutions provider with end-to-end payment offerings for retail and financial institutions. They have a presence…
23 January 2024 · 3 min read
African STEM Revolution? How Sciency is bridging the science skills gap in Africa
Under the sprawling baobab trees in rural Zimbabwe, 12-year-old Thandiwe wonders why the crop harvesting she’ll have to do after school tends is so tedious. If her classroom’s leaky roof didn’t drown out the teacher’s explanations of simple circuits – maybe there would be a greater chance that Thandiwe and her peers could build solutions…
19 January 2024 · 7 min read · ZAF, ZWE, BWA
The consumer wins as Varun battles Delta for dominance in the Zimbabwean soft drinks market
On a hot summer day in Zimbabwe, a consumer decides to cool down with a beverage. With a dollar in hand, the consumer’s options are multiple as they can either choose between a Pepsi which goes for 50 cents or a Coca-Cola drink which only until recently goes for the same price. The recent competition…
17 January 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Unlocking Financial Freedom? How Nuud Money wants to empower Southern Africans through Cryptocurrency
When I joined Mpumelelo Ndamane on the Google Meet call, we exchanged pleasantries and talked for about 10-15 minutes to establish some familiarity with one another. The Nuud Money CEO who is based in Jo’Burg as it has come to be known was quite eager to get to know about me and Zimbabwe and so…
17 January 2024 · 10 min read · ZWE, ZAF, ZMB
M&A Mania: Zimbabwe businesses found love (or at least a good match) in 2023
At the midway point of 2023, Zimbabwe’s Competition and Tariffs Commission (CTC) announced that mergers and acquisitions (M&As) were up by 50% compared to 2022s half-year mark. As is usually the case we were curious to see what was driving this activity and what was pushing the commission which tends to be on the quieter…
12 January 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Will ZimSwitch Online unlock Zimbabwe’s E-Commerce potential?
In the last decade, mobile money has managed to evolve to ensure that Zimbabweans have access to financial services in a country where banking services were traditionally reserved for the formally employed minority. Many a time we have emphasised this impact but it’s important to note that over time the banks have also pulled their…
9 January 2024 · 7 min read · ZWE
Selling online is hard in Zimbabwe: Over 52% of the population are not your customers
Selling goods and services online in Zimbabwe is tricky but some intrepid entrepreneurs are pulling it off to one degree or another… How well it is going depends on what they are selling, the channel(s) they are using, the nature of supply and demand for the product and how ancillary it is to a nation…
9 January 2024 · 5 min read · ZWE
Toll gate fees Zimbabwe: Trade impact of 100% increase through SADC North-South Corridor
Zimbabwe continues to be a curiosity, and the proverbial edge case delivered something that could make transiting across the North-South Corridor extremely difficult for the movement of goods and people. In the announcement that everyone was waiting for, and thankfully it came after the holidays, the new toll gate fees for the scant strips of…
8 January 2024 · 4 min read · ZWE
How EcoCash could have been Zimbabwe’s Credit scoring saviour
There’s a metric I often turn to when contextualizing why it’s so hard for businesses to operate in Zimbabwe (and sometimes broader Africa). Poverty levels are significantly high with 64.5% of the population earning less than $3.65/day which results in an economy where majority of consumers cannot afford to pay outright for essential items such…
2 January 2024 · 14 min read · ZWE
Dandemutande has signed an agreement with Starlink to be a reseller of the service in Zimbabwe
Dandemutande has signed an agreement with Starlink to bring the internet service to Zimbabwe. POTRAZ has not approved the service yet though.
22 December 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE
The AfCFTA’s silence on telecoms – Outlook on Mobile Roaming in Africa
The AfCFTA draft policy is a set of documents that aim to establish a single market for goods and services in Africa and promote trade, investment, competition, and intellectual property rights among the member states of the African Union. The draft policy consists of four protocols: the Protocol on Trade in Goods, the Protocol on…
19 December 2023 · 8 min read · UGA, KEN, SSD
Will the African Union’s Credit Rating Agency solve continental financing woes?
The issue of development financing is a sore thumb for Africa & it’s 54 states. According to the UN, Africa needs an additional financing of US$124 billion annually to achieve Sustainable Development Goals’ targets. This situation has motivated the African Union (AU) to consider creating its own African Credit Rating Agency (ACRA) set to launch…
15 December 2023 · 9 min read · KEN, NGA, ZAF
State of Starlink’s licensing in Africa. Some countries are glad it exists, others not so much.
Starlink is catching a lot of attention globally and in African regions, it is facing quite the reception on both ends of the spectrum. Several African countries have subscribed to the idea of the satellite internet provider operating within their borders. Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi have licensed Starlink to operate within their…
13 December 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE, ZAF, KEN
Zimbabwe’s Online Procurement Revolution: A cure for corruption or a digital band-aid?
The Zimbabwean government recently shared their budget for 2024 and one sections that caught my eye whilst scrolling through the 250-page document was the country’s shift to an online public procurement system. In 2016 – when the US$ was still the most used currency, Zimbabwe was said to be losing US$1 billion annually to corruption.…
8 December 2023 · 10 min read · ZWE
How does FlySafair charge so little and stay in business?
From the Zimbabwean context, air travel is a relatively rare form of travel. Looking at the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, around 3 million road passengers cross the border versus just 400,000 Air Passengers. There is a 7.5X gap between the two when looking at traffic volumes. So it seems quite odd that given these pre-COVID numbers FlySafair, a relatively small airline by number of…
6 December 2023 · 8 min read · ZAF, ZWE, ZMB
Wealth Tax Zimbabwe: Council & govt to both tax property? Mthuli’s latest attempt to ensnare the informal market
Zimbabwe’s regulatory environment has thrown a few spanners in the works for its citizens. The latest one comes from the Ministry of Finance through the National Budget Statement in which the Minister proposed a Wealth Tax.
6 December 2023 · 9 min read · ZWE
Seeking Solace in a Conflict Zone: Malawi’s Desperate Bid for Jobs Drives Citizens to Israel
Malawi recently announced that it intends to send 5000 workers to Israel to take up jobs as agricultural workers. There has been a considerable amount of backlash along with negative media coverage regarding the story over the last few days. We are looking at an initial figure of around 5,000, that’s what we are targeting…
4 December 2023 · 6 min read · MWI
Startup ecosystem in Zimbabwe: Innovation Exodus the lesser known brain drain
The potential of Zimbabwe being an innovation exporter is dwindling because the country’s startup ecosystem is moving elsewhere… “We must cultivate our garden” was written centuries ago by Voltaire in his book Candide and, for whatever reason, resonated with Trevor Ncube’s recently concluded Ideas Festival. If, for some reason, you haven’t read the book I…
1 December 2023 · 14 min read · ZWE
TymeBank’s balancing act: Can the digital bank sustain rapid growth while taming losses?
To say that TymeBank is an interesting financial technology (FinTech) startup is an understatement. As recently as a month ago the company was celebrating crossing 8 million customers in South Africa and being crowned “one of the world’s fastest growing digital banks.” This is quite frankly a huge milestone that means TymeBank is fast becoming…
30 November 2023 · 10 min read · ZAF
Chipper Cash and the SADC remittance opportunity
In late November 2022, Chipper Cash announced they would be acquiring Zambian Fintech service provider Zoona, signalling Chipper Cash’s intention to expand into the SADC region. Laura Kennedy, Chipper’s VP of Corporate Development at the time mentioned that the deal would accelerate the startup’s expansion across the continent and be used in product development. 2023…
27 November 2023 · 10 min read · ZAF, ZMB
What does the AU Data Policy Framework mean for African Digital Enterprises?
The AU Data Policy Framework is a document that provides guidance and recommendations for African countries to develop and implement data policies that support the digital transformation and economic integration of the continent. It also aims to foster a harmonized and interoperable data ecosystem that enables the free and secure flow of data across borders,…
23 November 2023 · 14 min read · NGA, ZWE, SEN
Spotify and Orange Mobile team up to offer data-free streaming in Africa
Spotify just announced that they have entered a deal with Orange Mobile allowing the Mobile Network Operators’ (MNO) users in select African markets to stream music and podcasts with zero-rated data. I am incredibly excited to announce the signature of a partnership agreement between Spotify and Orange, to allow millions of African music fans to…
21 November 2023 · 3 min read
Is there actually any competition between Netflix & DStv
When was the first time you heard that DStv is on the brink of death and Netflix (or streaming) is the cause? I’ve got another question – how often do you hear that DStv only continues to dominate because it has sporting content (specifically the Premier League) and once it loses the rights it’s Kaput?…
20 November 2023 · 13 min read · ZAF, NGA, ZWE
State of SADC rail for logistics & passenger transport: One SA company owns 70% of traffic
The state of rail for logistics and passenger transport in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a far cry from where it could be. Just as a quick refresher, there are 4 main modes of freight of goods and passengers road, rail, maritime, and air. Of all those, rail stands at 0.3% share of…
17 November 2023 · 11 min read · ZAF, ZWE
Ripple of Woes: Zimbabwe Mining Industry to Face Tough Times Ahead- Chamber of Mines.
The mining industry in Zimbabwe has long been viewed as a potential saviour for the country’s struggling economy, with billions of dollars in revenue and a promising growth trajectory. However, recent reports suggest a more pessimistic outlook for the industry, as rising costs, inadequate infrastructure, and geopolitical tensions take their toll. With mineral revenue set…
16 November 2023 · 7 min read · ZWE
State of Mobile Money in Malawi: opportunities, barriers and impact
Following our exploration of the evolution of Mobile Money in Zambia we thought we would look at other countries in the region taking the same approach. Our second destination is Malawi, a country that currently has an estimated 20.6 million inhabitants and saw mobile money introduced in the early 2010s. Malawi has two main mobile…
14 November 2023 · 8 min read · MWI
Cheaper internet in Zimbabwe needs more than just the ICT Ministry & POTRAZ
It’s not inconceivable to believe that some thought that a somewhat generational representation in Parliament in the position of Ministry of Information, Communications, Technology and Courier Services (or Ministry of ICT) with the appointment of Tatenda Mavetera would change things for the better. On the face of it, it was somewhat a step in the…
10 November 2023 · 24 min read · ZWE
“Do South African startups exit early?”
Roughly a week ago, I sat across Valentine (founder of Dotzedw) in a cafe and we were having what can be described as a semi-heated discussion… I say semi-heated because any onlooker in the cafe would have certainly thought we were arguing but things are not always as they seem. What may have looked like…
8 November 2023 · 9 min read · ZAF
China Owns Africa’s Telecoms, here are the numbers
The Africa Telecoms scene is still in its infancy and quite dynamic. As of 2019, 477 million Africans had access to mobile networks which accounts for 45% of the continental population. Chinese companies are the dominant brands in telecommunications infrastructure and have become leaders regarding mobile devices making use of the said infrastructure. Transsion brands…
8 November 2023 · 10 min read · NGA, KEN, ZAF
ZISCO Steel Chairperson Eng. Martin Manuhwa Opens Up on Resurgence, Impact on the Mining Industry & Economy
The engineering, iron, and steel sectors in Zimbabwe have recently been given a lifeline, offering hope for the country’s mining industry and economy. Notable shifts in the sector include the revival of ZISCO and the anticipated commissioning of Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO), offering massive potential revenue. The steel industry is a significant factor…
7 November 2023 · 14 min read · ZWE
Simbisa Brands’ Dial-A-Delivery service: how it started, how it works, & how it grows
In 2015 Simbisa Brands – the company known for it’s Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) spread across Africa- unveiled Dial-a-Delivery (DaD) with the launch of a centralised call-centre in Zimbabwe. Leaning heavily on Simbisa Brand’s financial reporting we are going to explore how DaD has evolved over the 9 years since it was launched. Dial a…
2 November 2023 · 11 min read · ZWE, KEN, ZMB
AfCFTA Chokepoints: One Stop Border Posts & Their Impact on Intra-African Trade
The Africa Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) effectiveness will come down to how fast the continent can roll out its One Stop Border Post program.
30 October 2023 · 5 min read · TZA, ZMB, ZWE
Evolution of Zimbabwe’s housing sector: Is the country a nation of renters?
Zimbabwe’s residential market has experienced a shift towards becoming a rental market and away from homeownership, as more people opt for short-term rental arrangements in urban areas due to economic challenges. In this article we look at the trends in the residential market and population patterns, leading to the conclusion that we have more lodgers…
27 October 2023 · 9 min read · ZWE
Zimbabwe’s central bank is prioritising KYC-lite accounts again: Will it work this time around?
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently encouraged financial institutions in the country to prioritise low-cost bank accounts in a move to incentivise use of digital payment channels over cash: Financial institutions are encouraged to scale up financial inclusion through opening of more no-frills (low-cost) accounts. This measure will promote usage of banking services and financial…
27 October 2023 · 7 min read · ZWE
AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol: What to expect from the future of trade in Africa
The African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is a crucial talking point among businesses and governments alike. With digital trade expected to drive economic growth in Africa, it’s important to understand what the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol could look like and the potential benefits it could bring. In this article, we explore…
25 October 2023 · 7 min read · ZAF, KEN, NGA
Kazang: Leveling the Playing Field for Informal Traders in Africa
Banks on our continent have largely ignored informal traders. There’s a host of reasons for this but there has always been a sense of wonder regarding how a tech solution for Africa’s informal would work. That’s where Kazang enters… For over a decade now the company has been providing POS machines to informal traders in…
25 October 2023 · 7 min read · ZAF, ZMB
Has the Kazungula Bridge diminished taxable trade for Zim through the Chirundu Border Post?
The Chirudu border post situated northwest of Zimbabwe is a One-Stop border post (OSBP) that recently jacked up its operating times to 24 hours. It is considered one of the busiest border posts of the North-South corridor, a cargo, goods, and trade route that connects the northern and southern parts of SADC. It aims to…
19 October 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE, ZAF, ZMB
Is Africa ready for Open Banking?
Apple recently launched the iPhone Wallet feature in beta in the United Kingdom (UK) and whilst this news went under the radar it could turn out to be a huge deal. iPhone Wallet is based on the UK’s Open Banking API – a way of banking which many are claiming to be the next financial…
18 October 2023 · 7 min read · NGA, ZAF
Chirundu Border Post: Vehicle imports biggest reason for 24-hour operating times
Chirundu border is announced to have shifted gears to operate round the clock. Chirundu is a one-stop border post, the first to be set up in Africa back in 2009 and it’s a border designed to allow for the express clearing of cargo and goods. One-stop border posts (OSBPs) are a unique modern approach for…
16 October 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE, ZMB, TZA
South Africa’s Fintech startup landscape
Over the last 10 years, South Africa has established itself as one of Africa’s leading financial technology (FinTech) markets. Whilst the country is generally a land fraught with opportunities for African entrepreneurs looking to build startups, financial tech has dominated this conversation. Let’s explore what makes FinTech tick in the rainbow nation and why 40%…
16 October 2023 · 7 min read · ZAF
Zimbabwe’s Electricity Future: Investing in Renewable Sources and Independent Power Producers
Zimbabwe has an electricity problem & it stems from the lack of diversification in energy production particularly an alarmingly small Independent Power Producer pool of production.
12 October 2023 · 4 min read · ZWE
State of mobile money in Zambia (2023)
Over the last few years Zambia’s mobile money ecosystem has grown exponentially with a notable spike during the COVID-19 pandemic. With approximately 57% (11.24mn) of Zambia’s total population using mobile money services (2022), adoption is significantly ahead of regional counterparts such as Zimbabwe (25.8%), Malawi (35%) and Angola (2.9%). Let’s explore who the important players…
11 October 2023 · 5 min read · ZMB
SADC countries should copy Nigeria’s BVN to reduce bad debts
You wouldn’t guess it but SADC countries are great when it comes to having their citizens pay back what they owe banks. There are two outliers in Angola and Mozambique who had non-performing loan (NPL) ratios of 23% (2021) and 13%(2023) respectively. These ratios are 3-6 times above the world average (5.5%) when it comes…
8 October 2023 · 4 min read · NGA
Paratus Group, Starlink’s Africa-wide authorized reseller
Starlink has launched in several African countries this year with the latest one being Zambia. Naturally, Starlink does not have a presence in every region it operates in, which leads it to assign its service delivery and support to accredited 3rd parties. Paratus Group is a third party whose footprint makes it seem like it…
6 October 2023 · 3 min read · ZMB, NAM, AGO
ByBakari, a Zimbabwean startup changing the undesirable narrative of African Print
In a market like Zimbabwe where the clothing industry is hemorrhaging from the influx of clothes bales where pieces of clothing can retail for as low as a dollar, One might want to ask how a fashion entrepreneur can make inroads into such an aggressive market. Bakari Sibanda is one such entrepreneur, the founder of…
5 October 2023 · 4 min read · ZWE, ZMB
Is the informal market to blame for the retail sector woes?
The retail sector has been trending the past week, following OK Zimbabwe’s financial. OK Zimbabwe released its financial results and things are not looking good. It seems like the retail sector is under siege. The informal sector seems to be gaining an edge over the formal retail sector posing a significant viability threat to formal…
4 October 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Zimbabwe’s domestic remittance landscape in 2023
In 2015 Zimbabwe’s Central Bank – the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) issued a new set of legislation that governed domestic remittance services for the first time. With a recent survey from the RBZ also giving us a closer look at how the domestic remittance landscape progressed over the course of a decade (2011-2022) it’s…
4 October 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE
FlySafair is making an aggressive entrance into the Harare – Johannesburg route
FlySafair is a new entrant on the Harare – Joburg Route, one of the more popular routes in Zimbabwe. What they have done is try and undercut the market with aggressive pricing for their tickets. In essence, the cost of flying the Harare – Joburg Route is close to the cost of the same route…
3 October 2023 · 4 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Need Energy, A Techstars funded startup innovating on energy security
Energy security is the backbone of a strong and successful economy. Productions need energy and so do the digital-based systems we use for production. In Africa, this is one of the biggest problems. Energy production infrastructure is deplorable with Zimbabwe experiencing 16-hour load shedding at times. Power stations are close to half a century old,…
25 September 2023 · 3 min read · ZWE
Kuchera, the Zim-named German mining startup seeking to improve efficiency and increase profits
A typical mine operates 24 hours a day for years to several decades. As such mining dump trucks work for around 600 hours a month, the same time the average commuter drives in 2 months. This means every second counts in mining. Any reduction in downtime or improvement in fuel consumption extends the productivity and…
25 September 2023 · 2 min read
From Supply and Demand to Growing Populations: what’s driving Zimbabwe’s property prices
Over the past few years, Zimbabweans have been grappling with the reality that property in Zimbabwe is more expensive than South African properties.
25 September 2023 · 3 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Why Mastercard bought into MTN and Airtel’s Mobile-Money divisions
It was recently announced that Mastercard was buying a minority stake in MTN Mobile Money (MTN MoMo) for an undisclosed fee. This continues Mastercard’s trend of buying stakes in African mobile money companies following 2021’s acquisition of a minority stake in Airtel’s mobile money unit for $100 million. This made me wonder what informs MasterCard’s…
19 September 2023 · 4 min read
Integrated Payment Systems in Africa: More needs to be done to ensure they are truly inclusive.
The State of Integrated Payment Systems in Africa shows that there is significant progress in their development, however, there are still issues to be solved to ensure that the platforms are inclusive, accommodating all types of transactions across all socio-economic strata
19 September 2023 · 6 min read · NGA
Mobile money in Botswana: significance of the 10% growth for a population of 3 million
Mobile money services offer an inexpensive and convenient way to bridge the gap between the banked and unbanked. And the African continent is the perfect place for its application.
19 September 2023 · 4 min read · BWA
Fintech in Botswana: too few startups despite growing financial services market & mobile unbanked population.
Botswana has an impressive economy which would signal a big fintech space, but the Southern African country might only have one?!
18 September 2023 · 5 min read · BWA
AfCFTA: What do SMEs stand to gain?
The AfCFTA has a wide array of opportunities for African SMEs not only in establishing trade across borders but sustainably scaling
12 September 2023 · 4 min read
Over taxation choking SMEs in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean Government’s penchant for taxation, cumbersome company registration processes and policy inconsistency has given rise to the informalisation of businesses, particularly SMEs. Take for example in the 2024 budget strategy paper, published in August 2023, the Zimbabwean government is expecting to foot the country’s monetary needs by further taxing businesses and individuals. It sounds…
12 September 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE
Orange Money leads the pack as mobile money use grows by 10% in Botswana.
Mobile money use in Botswana has grown by 10%, according to a 2022/2023 Statistics Botswana report released last month.
11 September 2023 · 3 min read · BWA
Industry-led interoperability is key to the growth of digital payments
Industry-led interoperability is a viable approach to growing digital payments as opposed to the regulator led method
11 September 2023 · 3 min read · NGA, TZA
Examining the Afreximbank US$25 mil startup fund: Not nearly enough a share of US$650 mil available
Afreximbank has reiterated its US$25 million startup fund at the Second SME Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Now, before we get carried away this is a drop in the ocean in comparison to the flows of startup funding across the continent of Africa. The existence of the fund, which was termed “The Fund for Export…
11 September 2023 · 5 min read
Starlink is fast, but not everyone needs it
Starlink is a satellite technology being pioneered by SpaceX and it has been one very interesting technology. It provides satellite-based internet in a similar fashion to what we are used to with VSAT but with much higher throughput speeds than traditional VSAT. It has almost fiber-like internet speeds over satellite. “Starlink users typically see download…
10 September 2023 · 3 min read · NGA
Tanzania Telecommunications landscape. Still a lot of growth potential
The Tanzania telecommunications space has the most number of operators in SADC. 5 mobile operators, with 4 commanding a 97% market share. It is the second biggest telecoms market behind South Africa looking at mobile subscribers and sits at the top for available internet capacity even though activated bandwidth is still lower than South Africa…
4 September 2023 · 4 min read · TZA
Zimbabwe Starlink standoff: Is this POTRAZ trying to get a cut of that Elon money?
Despite other African countries allowing Starlink to operate in their territories to provide alternative and cheaper internet connection, Zimbabwe seems to be hell-bent on ensuring that doesn’t happen anytime soon. A recent statement from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ), Zimbabwe’s telecoms regulatory authority, gleaned by this publication issues a chilling warning…
4 September 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE
Instant & inclusive digital services key to improved payment services in Africa
The current state of instant and inclusive payment systems in Africa indicates a considerable opportunity for growth. Some digital payment startups across Africa are performing exceedingly well, but there is still room for growth, and there are others that need to unlock some bottlenecks to perform excellently and meet due diligence requirements to fulfil the…
1 September 2023 · 2 min read
Why does Zimtrade love pushing Zimbabwean SMEs into Zambia?
Is it a coincidence that Zimtrade is driving Zim SME expansion into the Zambian market? The simplest answer is no. There are no coincidences in business, only planned and strategic moves.
30 August 2023 · 4 min read · ZMB, ZWE
Are electric buses feasible in Africa? Here’s what the data says
A carbon footprint that is tied to the recent extreme weather phenomena that have been plaguing parts of the planet, especially in the last decade. Looking at the mobility sector, electrification is the direction the industry is moving towards. In this report, we will observe whether or not electrifying the public transport sector in Africa is feasible.
30 August 2023 · 10 min read · ZWE
Zambia has an inclusive & progressive mobile money landscape: An example to the rest of SADC
Mobile Money Country
29 August 2023 · 3 min read · ZMB
Is CBZ offering Visa Direct a new remittance tool in Zimbabwe?
The remittnace Landscape in Zimbabwe might be about to change.
27 August 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE
Lack of affordable financial services deters growth of African cross-border economies.
As many entrepreneurs and SMEs look to cross-border trade, it is becoming imperative to enhance consumer experiences in digital payment systems, to make a variety of products and services easily accessible, and also to improve the ease of doing business.
26 August 2023 · 2 min read
South Africa’s Telecommunications Space. 100% mobile coverage, 90% home broadband deficit
South Africa is arguably the biggest telecoms market in Southern Africa. It has the biggest population and enjoys a coastline spanning the east, south, and west of the continent, strategically well-positioned to access connectivity through undersea optic cables from continents to the western and eastern sides of Africa Mobile Network Space South Africa has 4…
25 August 2023 · 4 min read · ZAF
Reliance on digital banking in Africa to increase over the next few years.
The uptake of digital technology and the increase of mobile money use has led to a demonstrated increase in digital banking over the last decade, and predictions indicate that the digital banking landscape will be the new normal in the fintech sector over the next few years. The latest ‘Future of Fintech in Africa’ report…
19 August 2023 · 2 min read
Fintech startups could benefit from offering specialised financial solutions to rural market
Ambitious fintech startups offering financial solutions to consumers could benefit from tapping into the rural market, which are communities that have many unmet needs. Many rural societies still have limited access to banking and financial services. Additionally, many of them do not meet the high requirements from traditional banks such as proof of income, and…
18 August 2023 · 3 min read
Botswana Telecommunications Sector: Impressive for a country with less than 3 mil people
The Botswana telecommunications space has healthy competition despite the relatively low population of 2.588 million. There are 3 mobile network operators who all double up as fixed network operators offering both ADSL and Fixed Wireless broadband. Mobile Operator Space Over 5 years (2018 – 2022), mobile subscribers grew by 27% from 3.35 million to 4.24…
17 August 2023 · 2 min read · BWA
Digital finance is a mainstay in Nigeria’s tech sector.
A vibrant youthful environment has buoyed a thriving new market and hence a plethora of opportunities in digital finance in the busy Nigerian fintech sector.
16 August 2023 · 2 min read · NGA
Nigeria leads the pack in Africa’s fintech sector & findings anticipate further growth.
The fintech landscape in Africa has shown commendable growth over the past decade, and it is now counted among the biggest sectors across the continent. Nigeria leads the pack with the growth rate of the fintech sector standing at an average of 30% annually for the past five years. Nigeria is home to over 200…
15 August 2023 · 2 min read · NGA
The expected boom of Energy Independence in South Africa
Loadshedding in South Africa has been intense with the situation deteriorating over time. In the last 5 years alone, load shedding has gone from 127 hours in 2018 to 1,949 hours in 2022. In the context of the energy supply, there is a 4 to 6 Gigawatt (GW) energy supply gap contributing to the load…
13 August 2023 · 3 min read · ZAF
The Malawi Multichoice mess in numbers: Subscribers, Market share & Tax Forfeited
How DStv pulling out affects the Malawian Market in numbers...
11 August 2023 · 4 min read · MWI
Namibia Telecommunications space, a complete monopoly
The Namibia telecommunications space is virtually a monopoly. One dominant player in the mobile space, MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Company of Namibia) and Telecom Namibia is the chief fixed network operator. Market Share MTC is the largest mobile operator in Namibia with a market share of 90% and serving 2.52 million mobile customers. Their network coverage…
11 August 2023 · 2 min read · NAM
Mobile money penetration in Africa hindered by poor infrastructure, low household income
The slow development of infrastructure and access to reliable internet connectivity across Africa has led to weak mobile money growth.
10 August 2023 · 3 min read
Poor literacy rates & low internet penetration shrinking fintech market potential in Africa
The fintech market in Africa is growing steadily, however, the growth is hampered by a few challenges, most notably poor literacy and low internet penetration across the continent.
9 August 2023 · 2 min read · EGY, ZAF
The gap in Zambia’s growing fintech sector
The fintech landscape in Zambia shows potential to be a hub in the Southern African region, particularly in digital and mobile money payments and lending.
3 August 2023 · 1 min read · ZMB
Nedbank brings American Express Card Payments to Zimbabwe
Nedbank is looking to take a very select chunk of the tourism market in Zimbabwe...
2 August 2023 · 4 min read · ZWE
Zambia fintech ecosystem open to international participation
The Zambia fintech ecosystem is seeing growth of existing fintech verticals and the emergence of new ones according to the UN Capital for Impact for Development report. The sector of digital payments and lenders has seen the most growth over the past few years. The significant rise in the adoption of digital financial services in…
2 August 2023 · 2 min read · ZMB
financial inclusion & digital use mismatch in Eswatini market creates an innovation gap
Eswatini is looking to partner with development agencies and the private sector as well as Government actors to mainstream software engineering and entrepreneurial capacity development interventions. In order to encourage active participation and diverse innovations, the Central Bank of Eswatini wants to encourage people to try different ideas that offer digital solutions for long-term fintech…
2 August 2023 · 2 min read · SWZ
Eswatini Financial Services: Another Triumph for Mobile Money
Building on our earlier article about the Eswatini Fintech Landscape, we thought it would be important to look at the instrument of financial services that has had the most impact on the transacting public. Thankfully for us, the Eswatini Fintech Landscape Report painted a really vivid picture of what the diminutive Southern African Country has…
27 July 2023 · 2 min read · SWZ
ESwatini fintech market boasts many untapped opportunities
The Eswatini fintech landscape offers untapped business opportunities, as the Kingdom’s economy slowly stabilises, the population grows, and the market need for diverse financial transactions such as payment systems opens up. According to findings from the 2023 Fintech report, the nexus between financial services and digital technologies is producing new eco-system actors, deploying new…
26 July 2023 · 3 min read · SWZ
Inclusive growth of digital payment systems anticipated to contribute to GDP growth in SA
South Africa’s plan to broaden financial inclusion and also boost the economy by growing the financial payment sector is currently taking shape. This comes against the backdrop of the launch of the South Africa (SA) Reserve Bank pilot project, dubbed the National Rapid Payments Programme (NRPP), earlier this year. The NRPP is anticipated to modernise…
26 July 2023 · 3 min read · ZAF
Malawi Telecommunications: breaking down the MNO space
The Malawi Mobile Telecommunications scene is one that is occupied by a duopoly of mobile network operators and fixed service providers. It’s underdeveloped but has been taking some good strides to resolve that. The players in the Malawi Telecommunications sector Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) is the biggest mobile operator with a market share of 54%.…
25 July 2023 · 3 min read · MWI
Kuchera Secures BEUMER Group Investment To propel its mining optimization Platform
Kuchera, an augmented intelligence and optimization platform for the mining industry, has recently secured an undisclosed investment from the family-owned German intralogistics company BEUMER Group through its renowned company builder, Beam. “We are thrilled to extend our support to the mining vertical for the first time since the launch of Beam. Kuchera’s innovative approach,…
24 July 2023 · 3 min read
Pan African Payments System: direct vs Indirect Participation
The Pan African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS) is right around the corner even though there seems to be a lull in anticipating an innovation that looks to revolutionise African payments. Gone will be the dependency on foreign services that are not precisely attuned to the kaleidoscope of African operating environments. If the deployment of…
21 July 2023 · 4 min read · AGO, ZAF
Why e-commerce is hard in Zimbabwe: Internet access
The proverbial edge case is back and if you understand today’s subject matter then this will be a group therapy session more than an educationational experience. However, to those who haven’t dipped their toes into the weeds of selling products online, I hope you have a handkerchief because this is the sorry tale of e-commerce…
9 July 2023 · 6 min read · ZWE
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana & Malawi to scrape roaming fees…A 16 year old tale
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana governments have agreed to scrap roaming charges for travelers. This is going to be a part of the SADC Roam Like Home initiative that was set up back in 2007. For it to work, it involves network operators of different countries agreeing not to charge roaming fees that are higher…
8 July 2023 · 3 min read · BWA, MWI, ZMB
Zim govt drops USD tax by 75% in over a year: Were domestic remittance volumes declining?
In an amendment made by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Finance, the Intermediary Money Transfer Tax (IMTT) on USD transactions has been dropped to 1% from 2% (the tax was instituted at 4%). “With effect from the 1st June, 2023, section 22G (“Intermediated Money Transfer Tax”) of the Finance Act [Chapter 23:04] is amended by the…
9 June 2023 · 4 min read · ZWE
FBC acquires Standard Chartered Zim: Market share & compatibility in numbers
One of the more intriguing banking sagas is now over, FBC has acquired Standard Chartered Zimbabwe. This epic dropped on everyone like a bombshell back last year when The Standard Chartered Group announced that it was exiting the Zimbabwean market. It should be said that Zim wasn’t alone in the Stan Chart move as the…
8 June 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE
O’Mari: 3 fintech lessons from an old war horse to the new generation
Not every founder has the luxury of an almost century-old business with a diversified portfolio as a launch pad. Moreover, a litany of industry-agnostic partnerships and shareholdings ensuring whatever is dreamed up has more than a fighting chance. This is what O’Mari essentially is and we know at this junction, you are probably wondering what…
4 June 2023 · 7 min read · ZWE
Pan African Payments System: Are we ready as SADC & startups?
The Pan African Payments and Settlement System (PAPPS) is something that has been making the rounds for the longest time and rightly so because, if it works, it will change the way the continent transacts. What I mean by this is that the customer base of the “local” startup will now have continent-wide reach (hypothetically).…
9 May 2023 · 5 min read · ZWE
394 vehicles registered/day & 1.5 mil air passengers in Zim & more stats
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) published the Transport Statistics Report covering the years 2018 to 2022. This report canvassed all the vehicles in the country and their movements. The report was enlightening and outlined the state of Zimbabwe’s transportation sector. Here are some of the highlights from the report courtesy of Blnga Dev our…
9 May 2023 · 1 min read · ZWE
InnBucks is now selling Econet USD airtime: Game over for other vendors?
In news that really shouldn’t surprise anyone, Innbucks announced that it is now selling USD airtime. The Gist: If you weren’t expecting this, then you must have been living under a rock somewhere in Chirumanzu. The one thing other people and we saw when InnBucks launched was the massive uptake the service had and the…
2 April 2023 · 5 min read · ZWE
How Tanganda makes money & its not all tea: Annual report FY 2022
Tanganda is mainly known for Tea but the company does more than that. As with any other company, diversification is probably one of the most important things and the “Tea Company” is doing more than just filling our cups in the early morning. The bulk of Tanganda’s estates is used for Tea with Macamedia and…
2 March 2023 · 1 min read
How Powerspeed (Electrosales) makes money: FY 2022
Powerspeed is a ZSE-listed company that counts Electrosales and Industrial Electric as its subsidiaries. Powerspeed structure Powerspeed Operating Expenses The biggest expense is the cost of materials, followed closely by other expenses and Employee benefits expenses. Industrial Electric’s manufacturing accounts for the “cost of material” expense. Staff Costs Salaries and wages consist of just…
23 February 2023 · 1 min read
Nampak: How the packaging giant makes money: FY 2022
Packaging giant (paper, plastic and metal) Nampak is one of those rare stalwart organisations that have weathered whatever Zimbabwe could throw at it. It has a long history which stretches back to the Rhodesian Stock Exchange which saw it slowly eat away at Hunyani Holdings over the decades. Here’s the breakdown of Nampak’s 2022 FY…
1 February 2023 · 1 min read · ZWE
O’Mari: Is Old Mutual Zim coming for EcoCash?
While browsing on the App Store, as one does on a slow Friday afternoon. We came across an application called OMari (O’Mari) which was under Old Mutual Zimbabwe first appearing in the store in November 2022. The app looked like a mobile money app that on first inspection was not tied to CABS or any…
27 January 2023 · 2 min read · ZWE
InnBucks: generating “interest” from money in a cashier’s till
InnBucks, Simbisa’s financial services arm, has cut its service fees for transactions from 5% to 3% for amounts over US$5. More importantly, Innbucks is saying that it has set the price for sent amounts under US$5 to 1%. This second provision is very interesting because it suggests that they have, through data on their end,…
14 January 2023 · 5 min read · ZWE
How will an exodus of expiring Zim permit holders affect the SA remittance industry?
Only 6,000 out of the estimated 178,000 Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders have made an application for a conventional visa for their stay in South Africa. This proportion represents 3.37% of the entire population of the Zimbabwean Diaspora on the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit who work, study and live in SA. How this all came about…
9 January 2023 · 5 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Econet sim, death & taxes: The 3 things assured in Zim
Love it or hate it, there are three things assured if you live in Zimbabwe and that’s death, taxes and an Econet sim card… If you want to contest this fact then just look at the recently released Q3, 2022 Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory of Zimbabwe’s (POTRAZ) Sector Report. I’m impressed that Telecel and NetOne…
31 December 2022 · 1 min read · ZWE
69% of Zim loans are forex: It’s more effective to whisper dollarisation than shouting it
Have you ever noticed that not a lot of people call Zimbabwe’s local currency the “Zimbabwe Dollar”? Most call it the Z-W-L, RTGS or colloquially “MaBond”. Is it because the notion of the Zim Dollar is so far afield that many prefer to use whatever placeholder was put on the local currency, waiting for the…
8 December 2022 · 3 min read · ZWE
The cash cow that is the SA to Zim remittance corridor
Why don’t SADC central banks like reporting which countries amount for the most in remittance out and inflows? I thought that it was a uniquely Zimbabwean issue but the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) seems to also be shy about publicising which countries receive the most from its bustling economy. I mean… SA is the…
7 December 2022 · 7 min read · ZWE, ZAF
Telecel: 81.8% subscriber loss since 2013, a decade of decline in numbers
The sideshow that is the downward spiral of Telecel has been something to behold. You would have been called a fool had you predicted in the noughties that Telecel would have less than half a million active subscribers in a decade-plus time. Such is the case for Telecel right now… The mobile network operator has,…
3 December 2022 · 4 min read · ZWE
EVs at the Growth Point – US$2 mil invested to solve Zim’s rural transport crisis
The GIST: InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), has signed an agreement committing US$2 million to scale the offering of Mobility for Africa, an electric mobility company delivering affordable, cargo-carrying e-tricycles and solar-powered battery charging solutions for underserved communities in rural Zimbabwe. The transport situation in Zimbabwe is…
2 December 2022 · 6 min read · ZWE
Payments Zimbabwe vs Zambia: banking channels hold the reins
Cultural differences make Zimbabwe and Zambia two very different countries at face value but when it comes to payments there are some key similarities between the two Southern African Nations. According to the Bank of Zambia’s (BOZ) Annual National Payments System report for 2021, banking channels hold the majority of the value of transitions. The…
21 November 2022 · 3 min read · ZMB, ZWE
FBC spreads its reach to Botswana
FBC Holdings, one of Zimbabwe’s leading financial services entities, has established a fully-fledged Reinsurance Company in Botswana as part of the firm’s regional growth and expansion strategy. The new entity will operate as FBC Reinsurance Botswana and the company says it is set to redefine the insurance landscape in Africa and the world at large…
17 November 2022 · 5 min read · BWA
Grace Life Foundation where fintech meets philanthropy
Grace Life Foundation (GLF) is a social impact organisation that was established in 2018. The initiative was founded by Brian Munyawarara, the CEO of Raysun Capital, a fintech and credit platform for transport operators. Now, I was a little puzzled at how the CEO of a fintech firm got involved in philanthropic work. That’s not…
15 November 2022 · 3 min read · ZWE
Turn a mobile number into a postal address? This Kenyan startup has the answer
MPost is a Kenyan startup that is converting mobile numbers into physical addresses. At first glance the problem they are trying to solve is unclear, however, when looking at the state of most African countries it becomes more apparent. There are so many residential areas both rural and local that don’t have an official address…
11 November 2022 · 3 min read · KEN
The PayNow USSD has one feature that beats everyone else in the market
Zimbabwe’s most notable payment gateway PayNow now has a USSD *828#. The reason it took so long for them to launch or announce it is not what I want to focus on today (although that might be something we will talk about in-depth some other time). What, I think is really important, is that they…
10 November 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
EcoCash ZWL$ API startups are bleeding: 5.47% of Zim’s transactions is peanuts
There really is no delicate way of saying this… If you are a startup operating in Zimbabwe, relying on EcoCash or any other mobile money API to receive payments from your customers as a primary source of income, then you are in serious trouble… Although I doubt my saying this is news to those entrepreneurs.…
10 November 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
EcoCash transaction limits: impact on the National Payments System in numbers
It’s a little over two years since EcoCash was brought to heel by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). During that time there have been massive changes in the nature of transaction volumes and values on the National Payments System (NPS). The biggest shift has been witnessed in the mobile money values vs volumes ratio…
3 November 2022 · 5 min read · ZWE
Dolphin Telecom & 2 others to join Zim’s expanding mobile operator space
The Zimbabwean mobile network operator space has just opened up with the introduction of Dolphin Telecom which is set to be Zimbabwe’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). “It is true that we are licencing new players in the telecommunications sector… Mobile virtual network operators are also being introduced so that we introduce competition in…
2 November 2022 · 5 min read · ZWE
DPA to build Zim’s biggest rooftop solar plant for Varun Beverages
Cassava Technologies’ solar subsidiary, Distributed Power Africa (DPA) is set to build a 2.5MW solar installation after agreeing on a 25-year lease with Varun Beverages. The solar plant will be situated at Varun’s Pepsi Bottling factory in Harare and will reportedly produce 4.1GW of electricity annually. “We are pleased to partner with DPA on this…
29 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE, KEN
ZIPIT Smart: 30% of Zim SMEs use Zimswitch’s EcoCash competitor
The SIVIO Institute published a Financial Inclusion report on Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in Zimbabwe. In that report, it revealed that 30% of MSMEs say they have used the ZimSwitch bank account-based mobile money solution ZIPIT Smart. If the name isn’t familiar, ZIPIT Smart was birthed just after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ)…
29 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Bank accounts fall by 2.1 mil vs EcoCash losing 3.1 mil subscribers: How cash won the war
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Quarterly Microfinance Report for Q2, 2022 revealed a decline in active bank accounts in Zimbabwe. March 2021 June 2021 September 2021 December 2021 March 2022 June 2022 Total of Bank Accounts 9.06 million 7.17 million 6.69 million 8.17 million 7.76 million 6.95 million Number of low-cost accounts 5.82 million…
29 October 2022 · 6 min read · ZWE
Local drone school training Civil Protection Unit to use Drones in disaster management
In November 2021, the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) acquired (through the UNDP) 18 DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drones in order to manage and monitor areas in Zimbabwe that are prone to floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. The operatives from the organisation successfully completed their Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) mandated Remote Pilot…
28 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Uhuru & FlexID to make a digital RBZ gold coin?
This time last week we reported on Uhuru Wallet being given test approval by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Fintech Regulatory Sandbox. The startup’s admission into the program was shrouded in a little mystery because there were very few details about what they were going to be doing and which bank they got approval…
25 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
FBC adds virtual USD Mastercard to its list of financial services
FBC Bank has partnered with Mastercard to introduce a digital service that will enable quicker, safer and more convenient online payments. Through this partnership, FBC Bank customers gain near-instant access to a range of Mastercard Virtual (non-plastic) cards that can be used to make local and international e-commerce payments safely and securely. With the launch…
24 October 2022 · 4 min read · ZWE
Thumeza: US$13.3 mil monthly credit demand & signups up by 51%
Thumeza, the logistics financing platform, announced its Q3 2022 report of sorts in the startup’s inaugural quarterly newsletter. In that report, Thumeza revealed that it had made serious strides in the logistics space with signups on its platform increasing by 51% between January and September. “This has been due to strong logistical activities from the…
24 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZAF, ZWE, UGA
Ease is one of the better-designed EcoCash alternative apps out there
As I was scrolling through the Google Play Store (as anyone does in their free time), I encountered an application called Ease which is a facilitator or alternative for mobile money platforms like EcoCash and others. And I think it is one of the better-designed alternative EcoCash payment applications out there… A pinch of salt…
24 October 2022 · 5 min read · ZWE
Zim startup Umojalands named among winners of Inclusive Fintech 50 program
Local startup Umojalands has been named among the winners of the Inclusive Fintech 50 (IF50) program. The initiative is a global innovation competition that aims to identify and elevate cutting-edge emerging inclusive fintech startups that have the potential to drive financial inclusion. Over the last three competitions, IF50 has attracted over 1,000 eligible applicants. According…
18 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Local fintech Uhuru to test with a bank under RBZ Fintech Sandbox
Uhuru Innovative Solutions will test with a local bank under the umbrella of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Fintech Sandbox. The local fintech firm becomes the latest to join the sandbox which seeks to bring startups in payments, credit, investment and more, closer to the regulator and traditional financial institutions. If you have never…
18 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Namibia now has a digital nomad Visa: Will it attract Zim’s remote workforce?
It’s no secret that there is a growing contingent of Zimbabweans who are working remotely for regional and international companies. The jobs Zimbos are filling out for foreign firms are as developers, graphic designers, UX/UI designers and a whole lot more. There are also Zimbabweans who are working remotely for local firms in various capacities…
18 October 2022 · 2 min read · NAM, ZWE
Zim ranks very low in the global internet speed test index
The internet is how a good number of people in Zim do their business these days. If it isn’t fixed home or work internet, many rely on mobile data to get in touch with clients and partners, even if it is just through a WhatsApp bundle. The performance of the services from Internet Service Providers…
18 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Akayi makes its first investment in the Zim startup ecosystem
Startup ecosystem enabler Ayaki has announced its first equity investment in Zimbabwe. If you have never come across the organisation, Akayi has been bringing together startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs to share knowledge and experiences to help further the local business scene. They also ran the BizBuilder, which was a free 6-week incubator program for…
17 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Liquid Intelligent Technologies launches DDoS Secure in Harare to mark Cyber Security Awareness Month
As the world commemorates Cyber Security Awareness Month this October, leading technology company Liquid Intelligent Technologies has called on local businesses to place cyber security at the heart of their business operations, especially in the wake of an increase in cyber-attacks in Zimbabwe and around the world. Speaking during the launch of its latest cyber…
13 October 2022 · 3 min read · ZWE, KEN
Econet’s solar firm DPA to build the biggest rooftop solar project in Kenya
In November 2021, DPA Kenya Ltd, co-owned by DPA (Distributed Power Africa and Econet Group Subsidiary) a key player in distributed renewable energy solutions and EDF (Électricité de France), the French multinational electric utility signed an agreement with the Devki Group to provide renewable energy solutions for a factory based at Nairobi. In this agreement,…
13 October 2022 · 2 min read · KEN
Derry M7 review: Zim’s first solar charging electric car
A little while ago we talked about electric cars and how the revolution is still some ways away from Zimbabwe. It appears the universe has a sense of humour because we were invited to the official launch of the Derry V7 and M7 by Electric Vehicle Centre Africa (EVCA). The car is made by the…
11 October 2022 · 4 min read · ZWE
Azanza: interns bootstrapping a health startup & the US$50K funding
Yesterday we reported on Azanza Health, a local health startup that was selected by the Bill and Melinda Gates-backed Investing in Innovation (i3) Africa program. We got in touch with the team at Azanza and were able to have a conversation with the CEO, Dr Tinotenda Micheal Simemeza who shared more about the health startup.…
11 October 2022 · 4 min read · ZWE
Azanza: a local health startup that got US$50K from Investing in Innovation Africa
Azanza Health was selected among 30 African startups to receive grants from the Investing in Innovation (i3) Program. The Harare-based startup was picked by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) backed program because it is aiming to increase access to echocardiography and other medical diagnostic procedures. “We envision a…
10 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Solar crowdfunding platform Sun Exchange strikes deal with Cars.co.za
Sun Exchange, the global solar leasing platform, announced that the leading South African automotive platform, Cars.co.za (www.cars.co.za), has bought into a project that provides off-grid solar power plus battery storage to Karoo Fresh, a commercial farm in South Africa’s Karoo district. “The Sun Exchange platform is all about enabling access to the benefits of the…
10 October 2022 · 3 min read · ZAF
The electric vehicle revolution is far from Zim, according to the numbers
“The future is electric” is what most in the ‘developed’ world have been saying over the last half-decade or so. This has been supported by vehicle manufacturers declaring that they will be going electric for all future models from 2030 and beyond. Moreover, the European Union announced that all passenger vehicles (vans and cars) sold…
7 October 2022 · 2 min read · ZWE
Zim car imports – Numbers & USD values (its big business)
Without an efficient public transport system, the only way that you can guarantee you can go from A to B in time is by car. That being said getting a vehicle of any kind is not that easy for most Zimbabweans. There aren’t a lot of people in Zim with cash on hand (in USD)…
7 October 2022 · 4 min read · ZWE
Gaxx “Not every client is your client”: The realities of building a photography business in Zimbabwe
Unpublished ran a festival celebrating visual storytellers called “Unpublished in Africa”. The first day of the festivities started with a panel that included Tinashe Gakaka the man behind Gaxx Photography and the Creative Director of Kreate. Gaxx has been featured in GQ South Africa, Vogue Italia, galleries and a number of other publications. Building a…
5 October 2022 · 11 min read · ZWE
Can Neobanks solve the financial inclusion problems in Africa?
Africa’s 350 million (est.) financially excluded adults present a unique opportunity for financial service providers on the continent. One of the technologies that is rising up as a solution is Neobanking. This is a direct banking service that operates exclusively online with no physical branch network. The biggest Neobanks in Africa currently include TymeBank (South…
1 January 1999 · 6 min read · NGA, ZAF
Zambian Telecommunications sector. The players & who is who
The Zambian telecommunications sector has undergone significant development in recent years, with the number of base stations increasing, mobile data usage soaring, and the fixed internet landscape evolving. This article will explore the key players in the sector, as well as the trends that have shaped the industry over the past decade. Infrastructure Development The…
1 January 1999 · 3 min read · ZMB