Techzim

The ‘dollar for 2′ Telecel SIM cards

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:36:38 +0000

A reader, Tatenda Dzumira, sent us photos recently of Telecel Zimbabwe agents busy on the streets of Bulawayo touting from a loud speaker the availability of “dollar for 2” Telecel SIM cards. The SIM cards are sold from the back of a pickup truck and new subscribers can buy and register for mobile services right there in the streets. “...in Bulawayo they are evrywhere” noted Dzimura, referring to the agents.

A “How not to launch an internet based product” lesson from Econet

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:44:06 +0000

How under the sun do you launch a product, one of whose main points of interface with customers is the web, without having the web platform ready?

Africom finally kills off the loss leading $18 bundle

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:51:19 +0000

In October 2010, Africom made a bold unprecedented move in the history of the internet in Zimbabwe. Fresh from the launch of its new red brand and mobile broadband services, the company announced the pricing of its data packages; the cost of a 1 gigabyte bundle was US $18. It was crazy. It was fantastic for the customers. We celebrated. For the first time in Zimbabwe, here was a company that understood that the internet was not a luxury for rich.

Highlights from the Telecel re-branding press conference

Staff Writer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:57:49 +0000

Today we attended, the Telecel launch of its new brand. We list below the highlights of the speeches made by both John Swaim (new MD) and the marketing director, Obert Mandimika.

Press Release: Telecel Zimbabwe rebrands

Staff Writer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:48:15 +0000

We're just back from the Telecel launch of the new brand which we have posted about here before. Telecel provided quite some information, which we will post in a update today later, but in the meantime, here's a press release prepared by the company announcing the new Telecel Zimbabwe brand.

Apps4Africa Climate Challenge for Southern Africa begins today

Staff Writer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:58:34 +0000

Today, 1 February 2012, is the commencement date for the southern Africa region Apps4Africa Climate Challenge. The challenge will run for 2 months to end of the 30th of March and invites African innovators to develop innovative, web-based and mobile technology solutions to local climate change challenges. According to the Apps4Africa website the challenge centers around the strategic themes that were debated and decided upon by world leaders at the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) conference in South Africa last year. The challenge is sponsored by the US government.

No prizes for guessing

Staff Writer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:07:43 +0000

Help us guess what company just started a teaser ad campaign in the local Zim print publications today. No prizes here.

Africa Exchange to facilitate Government/ICT private sector event

Staff Writer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:23:16 +0000

Africa Exchange, an organisation working to promote regional and international trade and investment will be hosting an ICT event on the 10th of February (about a week from now) dubbed the “Meeting of Minds”. The event will be held in Harare and aims to bring together the ICT Ministry representatives and private players in the industry to discuss development strategies for the sector.

Econet Wireless Group triumphs in Nigeria

Staff Writer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:57:51 +0000

According to a press release posted on the Econet Wireless website today, the Federal High Court of Nigeria handed down judgment in favour of Econet in the dispute between the company and Bharti Airtel Nigeria. The matter stems from shareholding problems in 2003 and until now, Econet had failed to get any favorable outcome from the courts.

How much the price of internet connectivity can reduce in one year

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:51:36 +0000

A year ago, US $50 per month unlimited broadband was only offered by one internet provider, the state owned PowerTel. Many would argue doesn’t really ‘need’ to make money. It wasn’t the best internet in town, largely because of congestion issues, but PowerTel afforded many small businesses and middle income earners an opportunity to have their own internet connection for the first time. The rest of the providers had prices north of $100 for any type broadband, forget unlimited.

Alpha Media and iWay to host Stafford Masie at breakfast meeting

Staff Writer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:01:33 +0000

Alpha Media Holdings announced yesterday via a press release in one of its papers that the media group will be hosting Stafford Masie at a tech breakfast meeting to be held in Harare on the 17th of February. Alpha is holding the event in partnership with Telkom owned ISP, iWayAfrica.

Econet launches Econet VoIP

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:00:22 +0000

Today, we attended the Econet VoIP launch we wrote about yesterday. We speculated a lot yesterday about what exactly the product is so we’re quite excited to reveal the accurate details today. Those of you that follow us on Twitter received the news in real-time as we heard it in the morning so no new stuff here for them.

Mobile Penetration in Zimbabwe (2006 – 2011)

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:12:45 +0000

One of the interesting things presented at last week's JumpStart event, was the rise in mobile penetration in Zimbabwe between 2006 and 2011. The actual significant rise started in 2009 but 2006 shows just how low it was just a little over 5 years ago, 848,000 subscribers.

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe to launch VoIP

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:39:01 +0000

Just when everyone had agreed that Econet and the other GSM mobile operators are scared of VoIP, the largest telecommunications firm in Zimbabwe has come out to launch that very service. Tomorrow, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe will launch Econet VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) at an event to be held in Harare.

Launch of the new red Telecel was planned for Valentine’s Day

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:02:12 +0000

We've been receiving bits of information (and some reaction) to Telecel’s re-branding push that we wrote about 2 days ago. According to a reliable source, revelation of the new red colors and new logo were scheduled to happen on the 13th February. Yes, just before Valentine’s Day.

Google’s “Don’t be evil” put to test with Search+

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:06:04 +0000

About two weeks ago when Google launched Search plus Your World, we wrote an article noting that what was really worrying was not anti-trust lawsuits or the war of words that ensued between the search giant and Twitter. More worrying was Google’s betrayal of the trust that we the users have in it to deliver the best search results.

Our experience migrating from Disqus to Facebook comments

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:23:07 +0000

Before we moved the comments system on this site from Disqus to Facebook about a week ago, we had thought about it for a while and the decision wasn’t any easy one to make. Eventually we decided to move. And this is why:

Telecel Zimbabwe rebranding

Staff Writer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:57:09 +0000

If you have been to the Telecel Zimbabwe Harare city branch in the past few days, you probably noticed the mobile operator is changing its colors. The new Telecel Zim, as you can see from the picture below, will be red. The outgoing is the blue logo on the right.

Exclusive: Liquid Telecom acquires Zimbabwean ISP, ZOL

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:55:05 +0000

We just got news that Zimbabwe Online (ZOL) has been acquired by the Liquid Telecommunications Group. ZOL is now officially part of the Liquid Telecom Group. From the information available to us so far, ZOL will remain an independent company in terms of branding and operations.

How to use Paypal in Zimbabwe without a Paypal account

Guest Author — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:44:48 +0000

Having read so many comments and stories here on how you cannot access PayPayl services in restricted countries like Zimbabwe, I felt compelled to share how you can use PayPal without having access to PayPal, having no PayPal account, and without the means to create a PayPal account.

The internet goes on Strike: Wikipedia blacks out

Staff Writer — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:17:45 +0000

The internet is on strike today. One of the most popular website globally, Wikipedia, has blacked out in protest against SOPA and PIPA. If you visit Wikipedia today it will load you a black page with the following text:

Introducing the JumpStart initiative, inaugural event

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:00:28 +0000

Today, we have some exciting news that we know tech entrepreneurs, developers, designers and others among you would love to hear. At the end of this week, JumpStart, an initiative we’re part of, will be holding its inaugural event at the Harare Club in Harare.

My journey to Wedza. An experience with technology in rural Zimbabwe

Jabulani Chirinda — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:43:36 +0000

I had a chance to see the “hot” mobile phones in Wedza in all their shapes and sizes. The Chinese made models topped the list perhaps because of their key features – dual sim support, high audio output, multimedia support (ability to play a range of audio file formats, record audio/video clips and snap JPEG photos with reasonable resolution).

Where our music anti-piracy activists get it wrong

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:01:35 +0000

The term “piracy” implies that the wide availability of unauthorized copies of copyrighted content is the result of bad actors preying on the legitimate market. But history teaches us that it is primarily a result of market failure, the unwillingness or inability of existing companies to provide their product at a price or in a manner that potential customers want.

It’s Nhava all over again, only this time the name is Swav

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:52:57 +0000

Good news like this press release travels fast. No sooner had it been published than Zimguardian picked it up and repeated the PR. It’s said if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. Eventually a big local daily newspaper, the NewsDay, picked the lie and amplified it yesterday. But in these connected times we live in there’s high risk repeating a lie; someone will eventually call you out on it.

9 years’ worth of The Herald’s internet content is offline

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:26:52 +0000

We have noticed that for a while now all our internet page links to the Herald made before 2011 have not been working anymore. Links like this one (http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20101&cat=8) which we linked to from a story on 7 December 2010. Or this one (http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=14244&cat=8 ) we linked to on 14 January 2010 from this story. There are more examples. You get the page below when you click on the links:

Our information technology predictions for 2012

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:47:54 +0000

Another exciting year in information technologies lies ahead with a lot of promise for the continued growth of the sector. Below, we provide our thoughts on what we think 2012 holds. It would be great to know what you the reader think in the comments.

Google not acting in our best interest with ‘Search plus Your World’

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:25:39 +0000

Google’s latest move to integrate Google+ with the Google search engine results page (SERP) got me worried. Google says from now on, the results you see in Google Search will include personalized Google+ data related to the search. It basically ties Google+ as a social network to Google search to produce a product that "understands not only content, but also people and relationship." These features can be turned off but how many people make the effort? The new features are called “Search plus Your World”.

Telecel introduces new MD, explains need for expats

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:33:38 +0000

We received a news release from Telecel with more information on the news the Herald broke on Monday regarding the coming in of new managing director John Swaim. The release basically confirms the development but says the arrangement is an interim one and likely to last only a single year. Swaim says he'll spend his time here looking for a new Zimbabwean leader to take as the leader at Zimbabwe's second largest mobile operator.

Zimbabwe’s tele-density rises to 74.7%

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:04:37 +0000

Zimbabwe’s tele-density rose to 74.7% as 2011 came to a close. Mobile phone subscriber statistics we received from the Post and Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) recently show that all mobile phone operators registered an increase in subscribers since the last release of stats in September 2011.

Press Release: New Telecel boss envisages growth in 2012

Staff Writer — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:39:32 +0000

Newly appointed Telecel Zimbabwe Managing Director John Swaim sees his new appointment as a temporary one that should lead to the appointment of a Zimbabwean to run the local company. “I have come in as managing director in an interim position, while looking for a Zimbabwean to take over from me,” he said.

Mobile & web commerce in 2012, unlocking the value of connectivity

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:50:46 +0000

At the beginning of 2011 we predicted that Zimbabwe would see internet and mobile commerce services launched in Zimbabwe. As the year came to close, it was certain we were right on target with the prediction: Econet launched EcoCash they extending the use to more than just remittances and airtime; Zimswitch confirmed to us in an interview they were working on an internet payment gateway which they were going to launch before 2011 ended. But something happened on the way to heaven

John Swaim bounces back to Telecel Zimbabwe MD position

Staff Writer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:57:24 +0000

According to a report in the Herald today, John Swaim has been appointed to replace Aimable Mpore as Telecel Zimbabwe managing director, following failure by the later to renew his work permit. If the Herald’s sources are correct, this brings an end to Aimable Mpore’s less than pleasant stay in Zimbabwe as Telecel’s top man.

Why you should ignore the ‘We have 4G!’ adverts

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:19:38 +0000

In 2010, Ecoweb (and Econet subsidiary) was first to come out with the message that they had launched a 4G internet service. The company had just launched its mobile WiMax platform April 2010; a first in Zimbabwe. Of course consumers had no idea what this 4G thing was. The real benefit a lot of people saw wasn’t the speed that the new generation was supposed to offer, it was the mobility.

I walked into TelOne again this week, this time I’m getting my ADSL

L.S.M Kabweza — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:07:46 +0000

Last week I ranted a little about walking into TelOne and basically getting the kind customer service that makes you want to shop elsewhere. Small problem with that is the fact that TelOne runs a monopoly on ADSL services right now so there’s no taking the business elsewhere. But ranting about it helps sometimes. It did in this case.

The web and mobile startups we covered in 2011

Staff Writer — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:34:27 +0000

The top Zimbabwe tech stories we covered in 2011

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:45:14 +0000

With less than two days left before the close of the year, we thought we’d post a listing of all the top stories we covered this year. This has been our busiest year since.

NetOne opens mobile broadband to prepaid subscribers

Staff Writer — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:44:06 +0000

Back in October, NetOne announced to its postpaid (some call them contract) subscribers that its mobile broadband tests, which had been running before that date, had come to an end. NetOne invited the post paid subscribers to enable internet browsing on their lines and be charged US $40 for unlimited usage a month. Quite the attractive offer when compared to other mobile networks.

I walked into TelOne

L.S.M Kabweza — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:53:13 +0000

Yesterday, I walked into TelOne to ask about the landline application I submitted some 3 months ago. 30 September 2011 to be exact. I need the landline for ADSL broadband internet. TelOne as you know is the state owned sole fixed line operator (and provider of ADSL services) in Zimbabwe. The operator decided on a monopoly of ADSL broadband internet and won’t let ISPs in on the ‘bulk’ ADSL. Their ADSL internet is reliable, quite the option too if, like me, you’re looking for some low cost internet.

Telecel releases official mobile internet pricing. Introduces bundles

Staff Writer — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:53:34 +0000

Since the launch of its mobile broadband internet services, Telecel has maintained that the pricing, US 10 cents per megabyte of data, was for pilot testing purposes only. Part of that is of course the fact that they commenced the commercial bit of rolling out their internet without seeking the regulator’s approval and they had to reimburse customers when POTRAZ directed them to. They decided to just leave it at that until today.

YoAfrica drops broadband internet price to $50 uncapped

Staff Writer — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:56:22 +0000

There’s some good news we’re discovering as the year comes to an end. YoAfrica, one of the biggest internet service providers in Zimbabwe, has slashed its home broadband internet offering to US $50 a month. And if a customer pays for a whole year (which we don’t advise by the way) the price drops further to $42 a month.

2,600 ADSL subscribers in Zimbabwe

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:20:49 +0000

It’s usually extremely hard to get information from TelOne. No one there will speak on record. Especially about the ADSL service the country’s online fixed line operator launched early this year. So you can imagine our delight when we read a speech presented by the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) director general, Mr. Charles Sibanda recently at POTRAZ’s 10th birthday.

Google Zimbabwe’s 2011 top searches: ‘Facebook replaces Zimbabwe’

Staff Writer — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:05:47 +0000

The most noticeable change on the top web searches when compared to last year’s top searches, is that “Zimbabwe” the most popular web search term in 2010, has been replaced by “Facebook”. Not sure if this means Zimbabweans are now more interested in logging onto Facebook than knowing about their country. One clear suggestion though to derive from this is that the web is getting more and more an everyday common man (social) tool than just the work and educational tool it was before.

Cloud computing, social media & information security in Zim (E&Y survey)

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:52:07 +0000

Earlier this month, professional services firm Ernst & Young released its annual Global Information Security Survey report, this year titled “Into the cloud, out of the fog”. Zimbabwe is part of 52 countries where 1,700 IT leaders were surveyed across all industry sectors. Along with the global report, the local member firm released country specific findings compared side by side with the global survey results. You can download the local report here.

Review: The Huawei Ideos S7 Slim. Great entry level tablet

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:32:55 +0000

There’s only one way to start off this review, and that’s to tell you that if you’ve been wanting to get yourself your first tablet, you might want to sample this one first before you run off to get that $1,000 iPad or $700 Galaxy Tab. And here is why.

Telco interconnects with Econet. Still to interconnect with Telecel & NetOne

Staff Writer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:53:52 +0000

Internet Access Provider, Telecontract (Telco), has interconnected its VoIP network with the Econet Wireless's GSM mobile phone network. We got the announcement yesterday from Telco. The IAP launched VoIP services in November 2010 and more than a year later, had still not interconnected with a single mobile operator.

Details of the 2011 ICT Achievers Awards winners

Staff Writer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:08:21 +0000

We promised to post the details of the winners of this year’s Zimbabwe ICT Achievers awards. Many of our readers have requested this information. So here they are. We got the details from the Zimbabwe Ministry of ICT and we’re posting all the information as is.

One of our readers thinks Econet is lying about @Econet Wireless

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:00:25 +0000

So, no kind words from subscribers in response to Econet's "@Econet Wireless" tag on SMS messages. Almost everyone we've spoken to about the matter says Econet should just stop. But no, Econet is not giving this one up. Not yet. In a message to subscribers yesterday, Zimbabwe's largest telecoms firm sought to explain, again:

Upgrade to customs clearing system causes major disruption at ZIMRA

Staff Writer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:53:51 +0000

An upgrade of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs clearing ICT system carried out recently didn’t go too well. Major disruptions in clearing have been experienced and according to reports we got last night, the situation has not been resolved yet.

Econet quietly switches on Ecolife. The big losers are Trustco & the subscribers

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Some several days ago, we learnt that Econet complied. Quietly. Ecolife, we’re told was switched on some few weeks ago. Three or four, according to our sources. At least two individuals close enough to know the truth have confirmed this.

The 2011 ICT Achievers Awards ceremony (pictures)

Staff Writer — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:34:37 +0000

As you may know, the ICT Achievers Awards were held recently. We have posted a couple of stories about them here and will be posting more in the coming days. In the meantime, we have posted pictures of the event to our Facebook Page and we thought we would share that with you here.

Thank you

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:30:12 +0000

Most of you readers will be logging off your work machines this week, and since most of our readers access Techzim from work, we just want to express our gratitude while we still have your attention.

Econet scoops Superbrand and ICT Achievers Awards for 2011

Staff Writer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:54:58 +0000

In the space of 3 days, the largest telecommunications firm in Zimbabwe, Econet Wireless, has been awarded by both the Marketing Association of Zimbabwe in the Superbrand 2011 Awards, and the Ministry of ICT in the ICT Achievers Awards 2011.

Technology is NOT killing the music industry

C. Masekera — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:20:40 +0000

An interesting article by Fred Zindi titled “Technology killing music industry” appeared in the Herald of the 6th of December. Fred Zindi is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. His case is based on the assertion that the ability by people to make copies of music illegally, easy and cheap access to blank CDs and CD writing equipment which was impossible when he started his career as the ultimate source.

Econet launches MMS

Staff Writer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:59:36 +0000

Over the weekend, Econet Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on trial to all its customers. The trial runs until end of December and for that period, subscribers will be able to and send free unlimited MMS messages on the network. After the trial period, a single SMS will cost US 15 cents during peak periods and a cent less off-peak. All SMS messages will have a 1 megabyte (MB) limit.

Utande on the reasons broadband is expensive in Zimbabwe

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:48:57 +0000

Local Internet access provider (IAP), Utande, published a column titled “Techno Talk” in a local weekly last week. First, we’d like to commend them for this and we hope the column is going to be a regular one. It’s not every day that an internet provider comes out to say their view of connectivity issues, so it’s quite a welcome development.

Zimbabwe ICT Achievers Awards winners announced

Staff Writer — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:55:14 +0000

The Zimbabwe ICT Achievers Awards ceremony was held tonight at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Harare. The annual awards are in their second year. Guest of honor at the event tonight was Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirayi.

Nollywood on YouTube: Nigerians and Ugandans get ‘local’ YouTube

Staff Writer — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:35:03 +0000

Over the past two weeks, Google has launched it's video service, YouTube, in Nigerian and Uganda. According to the announcements on the Google Africa blog, the local versions of the world’s most popular video service will provide by default more relevant content to the two countries. YouTube in the two countries will show visitors the most viewed and most subscribed-to channels in in the country.

Review: The Huawei Ideos U8150 from Econet. Great value for money

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:00:06 +0000

We spent most of last week with three gadgets we got from Econet for review: A Huawei Ideos U8150 smartphone, an Ideos X5 Pro smartphone and an Ideos S7 Slim tablet. This review will focus on the U8150 pictured below. We’ll post separate reviews for the other two devices.

Press Release: Drishti and Africcs join forces to serve the CIM Industry in Zim

Staff Writer — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:21:37 +0000

Drishti-Soft, a leading CIM technology innovator, and Africcs, Zimbabwe's leading customer care consultancy firm, enter into a business alliance to tap the huge contact center market of Zimbabwe and neighboring countries. With a presence in more than 15 other countries of African Continent, Drishti further strengthens its base through this partnership.

Fes’bhuku play: The impact of social media on Zimbabwe’s rural communities

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:00:55 +0000

If you’re in Harare, you love theatre, and have an interest in the impact of the internet and social media on social and political issues, here’s something you’ll not want to miss: From 7 December (Yesterday) to 17 December 2011, a play called Fes’bhuku will be showing at Theatre in the Park in Harare. The term "Fes’bhuku" is a loan translation of "Facebook" into the Shona vernacular.

Digital music sales in Zimbabwe. Taking it to the next level

C. Masekera — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:35:11 +0000

Online music stores have been on the rise globally and continue to gain momentum. Selling music files on a per-song, albums and/or subscription basis at lower prices has become a phenomenon. Online music stores such as iTunes and Amazon MP3are now the biggest music retailers in the US, selling almost 25% of all music in the US. This represents opportunities for businesses in developing ICT markets like Zimbabwe and can help revive the countries' music industries which have been on a downward spiral.

Firewall of China: paranoia or sovereignty shield

C. Masekera — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:07:50 +0000

From ancient times, the Chinese have been characteristically paranoid about their security. Many years later, the types of attacks to fend off have mutated, but the paranoia remains; and understandably so. With cyber warfare increasingly becoming important, the People’s Liberation Army has inevitably bolstered efforts to fortify its information firewall.

Subscribers annoyed with “@Econet Wireless” labelled SMS messages

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:34:41 +0000

Starting last week, Econet has been appending the name of the company to some SMS messages sent from the network. It reads “@ Econet Wireless”. Most people we’ve talked to say they started receiving the ‘labelled' SMSes last week on Friday. But that the appended text doesn’t come with every SMS. It’s random.

What to consider when buying a VSAT based internet service in Zimbabwe

Zimisfit — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:32:33 +0000

Before fiber came to prominence in Zimbabwe this year, VSAT was how all the bandwidth in Zimbabwe was landed by Internet Access Providers’s . This was done with much larger scale equipment than I mentioned above, think the mazoe earth station if you have seen it. Satellite bandwidth is much more expensive than fiber bandwidth, because of the costs associated with launching and maintaining a satellite in space. The change from satellite bandwidth to fibre is the main reason we have seen Internet connectivity prices come down significantly.

Entrepreneur Interviews: Lovemore Mukono, co-founder of Mukonitronics (full Interview)

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:43:00 +0000

Recently we held an interview with Lovemore Mukono, the co-founder and CEO of Mukonitronics. Mukonitronics is one of Africa’s leading power technology companies in terms of design and manufacturing industrial power electronic products for the local and export market. The range of Mukonitronics products include power electronics for mining, power generation and transmission, electricity distribution, telecommunications, railway and industrial automation.

iZimbabwe logo design challenge: Graphic designers, here’s an opportunity to win $1,000

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:40:14 +0000

Here’s a challenge for Zim graphic designers: Between 5 December 2011 and 31 January 2012, you have the opportunity design a new logo for the iZimbabwe online portal and stand a chance to win the US$1,000 prize money. muntu Media, the company that launched iZimbabwe last month, announced the competition yesterday.

“We are targeting at raising our subscriber base to 1 million” says TelOne

Staff Writer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:31:55 +0000

Yesterday, a Bulawayo state owned publication, the Chronicle, carried an article about the state owned fixed line operator, TelOne. According to the article, an infrastructure upgrade exercise is underway at TelOne as part of a multi-million dollar deal with Huawei International and Alcatel Lucent. The first phase will be complete this month, the article says, and when all work has been completed, TelOne will have a subscriber capacity of at least a million subscribers.

Altfin and NetOne launch mobile phone based medical aid service

Staff Writer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:56:36 +0000

NewsDay reports today that an Altfin Holdings subsidiary, Altfin Medical Aid Scheme, and state owned mobile operator, NetOne, have launched a new mobile phone based medical aid scheme. The scheme is called MedAccess. NetOne is the technical partner in the project. Subscribers will be able to register for the new service using their NetOne mobile phone numbers as the medical scheme’s registration numbers.

Some Econet mobile broadband subscriber stats. eTXT. EconetMail

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:00:41 +0000

Yesterday, we got the opportunity to discuss a few things about Econet Broadband with Leon de Fleuriot, the Chief Commercial Officer – Broadband at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. We talked about the number of mobile broadband subscribers, eTXT, EconetMail and other things. We also discussed some issues Techzim readers suggested on our Facebook Page and Twitter.

Of social media badges and moving with the times

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:09:32 +0000

You've probably seen it yourself a couple of times; a company (big often) slaps a Facebook badge on its website and print adverts despite the fact that their Facebook page has no activity at all on it. Sometimes the page doesn't even exist. It’s nothing but a statement to their visitors: We’re moving with the times!

TelOne to benefit from additional WIOCC cables

Staff Writer — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:31:16 +0000

WIOCC, the special purpose vehicle that TelOne is part of, has entered a strategic partnership with Cable & Wireless Worldwide to increase the reach and reliability of the WOICC cable system. The new partnership means WIOCC is now effectively invested in two additional submarine cable systems, the Europe India Gateway (EIG) and West Africa Cable System (WACS) that C&W owns.

Stimulating competition in telecoms with Mobile Number Portability

C. Masekera — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:18:55 +0000

Dollar for three are the buzzwords for Telecel customers, which refers to Telecel’s popular mega-juice airtime top-up card which costs $1 but offers $3 worth of value, i.e. $1 allowing off-net calls, $1 bonus for on-net calls and a $1 data bundle worth 10MB. Tariff wise, Telecel offers a $0.23 rate across all networks. Compare this to the $0.23-0.25 depending on call destination by the other mobile operators.

iZimbabwe announces business directory

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:48:25 +0000

Yesterday, iZimbabwe, the new portal by Umuntu media announced the availability of a business directory platform on their website. Business directory means online classifieds in the mould of the Zimbabwe’s leader of online classifieds classifieds.co.zw.

Dhiri launches. First dhiri: Half price pizza at Pizzazz

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:26:46 +0000

It is 01 December 2011. D-day for Dhiri. The new startup promised two weeks ago they’d launch today. And launch they have, with their first daily deal sent to subscribers on email and SMS:

The Bulawayo ICT Expo (pictures)

Staff Writer — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:21:30 +0000

Last week, the Computer Society of Zimbabwe held its first ever ICT exhibition in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair center. The exhibition was organized by the Bulawayo chapter team led by Victoria Phiri, Mduduzi Gwebu and Janet Kahari. According to the organisers, the exhibition attracted 16 exhibitors; Burco Technologies, Realtime, Ministry of ICT, Compu-Pro, Nust, Info-Hut, Macqtech, Speciss College, ZimClassifieds, UCNA, Prodsoftware, Munn Marketing, IwayAfrica, Telone, Africom and the Computer Society of Zimbabwe itself.

Now you can Tweet for a cab in Harare

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:51:50 +0000

So, how do you currently call for a cab in Harare when you need one? Give the cab driver a call? An SMS? Does it cost you airtime every time to do this? Do you always get a response on time? If you have a smartphone, (or just a regular internet connection at a desktop) there’s a new service in town you might want to give a try. It’s called Tweet-A-Cab.

Malema, Dynamos & Tsvangirai top Zim’s rising Google searches for November

Staff Writer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:49:56 +0000

So what have Zimbabweans been asking Google this past month? Google has a tool called Google Insights for Search that can give us that answer. Top on the list of the things that interested Zimbabweans the most is Malema. Malema of course is the South Africa politician who’s been in the news lately.

Techzim giveaway: Brodacom Plug ‘n Go device with 1GB data bundle

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:18:41 +0000

Last week, we posted a review of 3 internet (one of them primarily voice) devices that Brodacom is selling with their new mobile broadband. You can read the review here. Spiritage has availed one of those gadgets, pictured below, for a giveaway to a lucky reader. It’s called the Plug ‘n Go and its shelve value is $99.50. This giveaway unit will come loaded with 1 Gigabyte of data. The device will also come with a desk phone for making calls on the Brodacom network.

Aquiva Wireless latest coverage map: Harare, Byo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare

Staff Writer — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:32:33 +0000

The last time we wrote about Aquiva was back in February this year when, in an interview with the founders, the company revealed that they were rolling out WiMax base stations in Harare and Bulawayo and that they would be providing voice services as well. Well, since then, according to the company’s latest coverage map it has spread its WiMax network to Mutare, Kwekwe and Gweru. See below. Aquiva Wireless is one of the 12 POTRAZ licensed Internet Access Providers in Zimbabwe.

Dear Brodacom, please stop with these false claims already

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:05:36 +0000

If you’re in Zimbabwe and checked the newspapers yesterday, you probably saw the Brodacom advert above. The advert claims that before Brodacom came along, setting up fixed broadband in Zimbabwe used to cost US $3,500 and that thanks to Brodacom, that figure has been brought down to US $99.50, the price of Brodacom’s Wi-Fi device for small businesses and individuals.

Maybe Africom’s $18 gigabyte bundle really is unsustainable?

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:01:38 +0000

When Africom unveiled its mobile broadband service pricing last year in October it was to the delight of a market frustrated by exorbitantly priced internet (in the case of Econet) or just internet that didn’t work much (hello PowerTel). We commented then that on price Africom’s service was “by far a preferable alternative”. We still believe so.

Press release: Chips Computing wins top Pastel Business Partner award

Staff Writer — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:18:42 +0000

Chips Computing Services, which represents Sage Pastel in Zimbabwe, was named top international Sage Pastel business partner for 2010-11 at an awards dinner held earlier this month at the Mount Grace Hotel in Magaliesberg, South Africa.

A vote of confidence for Telecel

Clinton Mutambo — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:52:43 +0000

Orascom Telecom have ceased their fence sitting ways with Telecel Zimbabwe in a big way. The Independent reported on Friday that the company will pump in $70 million into Telecel Zimbabwe. This move is very significant for the company beyond monetary value as Vimpelcom (Orascom’s parent) has made a commitment to channel its global resources for the benefit of the local unit.

Review: Brodacom mobile broadband internet

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:31:21 +0000

About two weeks ago, we received three mobile broadband (and one of them primarily a voice device as well) from the Spiritage Group company called Brodacom. We got the opportunity to test the three devices over about 6 days, which gave us a more or less clear picture of the performance. We tested the devices in the Harare city center, Alexandra Park in Harare (at the office), a Harare residential suburb called Tynwald North, the Bulawayo city center, and a residential suburb in Bulawayo called Morningside.

Comparison: Zimbabwe’s mobile banking services transacting fees

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:21:12 +0000

In Zimbabwe, those in tech (and banking) will remember 2011 as the year of mobile banking. Not in the sense of the use of mobile banking services by Zimbabweans, but more that it’s the year almost every financial institution and all mobile operators launched.

Local website hosting and buying Zimbabwe

L.S.M Kabweza — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:58:08 +0000

The guys over at Candid Consumerism posted last week that the Buy Zimbabwe people were being hypocritical telling everyone to buy Zimbabwean products yet Buy Zimbabwe itself is not. Buy Zimbabwe won’t eat its own dog food. Its website is hosted in the United States. If they were being sincere, the article says, they’d just host it locally; Buy Zimbabwe would just buy Zimbabwean hosting.

Microsoft presents cloud computing solutions at first Open Door event

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:10:31 +0000

On Thursday last week IT professionals and Microsoft partners gathered at Rainbow Towers hotel to attend Microsoft’s first Open Door event in the country. The event was held by Microsoft to showcase their latest technologies especially those enabling companies locally to implement cloud computing.

POSB launches ZimSwitch Mobile powered mobile banking service

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:56:29 +0000

Back in march when news first broke that ZimSwitch was working with Telecel to power mobile banking for local banks, the two banks that Telecel confirmed they were working with were CABS and POSB. CABS launched its mobile banking service (branded textacash) in September. As for POSB, ZimSwitch told us exactly month ago the bank was in “live pilot”. Through adverts in the press today, POSB has announced that its mobile banking service is available to the public.

The latest Liquid Telecom terrestrial fibre map

L.S.M Kabweza — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:13:24 +0000

We received the latest fibre map that Liquid Telecom presented recently at AfricaCom. The map shows what the terrestrial fibre network’s overall footprint in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and DRC. It’s not clear if all of this is completed but most of it surely is.

Econet Broadband unleashes Huawei Ideos pair

Clinton Mutambo — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:30:38 +0000

After we announced the launch of Huawei’s Ideos S7 Tablet in South Africa a few months ago and the company’s stated intentions to conquer Africa with affordable Android devices, Econet Wireless has come out with a double punch. The company has introduced the Huawei Ideos S7 tablet and the Ideos Google phone at $450 and $165 respectively.

iZimbabwe goes live

L.S.M Kabweza — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:00:50 +0000

Umuntu Media is on track to deliver on its promise as iZimbabwe.co.zw is now officially live. The company is making good of its $1 million war chest to build local portals across the region and appears to be in a state of continuous improvement. iZimbabwe.co.zw is the third portal it has launched after Namibia & Zamibia, both of which have gained traction.

Southern African ICT for Education Summit to be held in Zimbabwe

Staff Writer — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:35:01 +0000

A Southern Africa ICT for Education summit is set to be held in Zimbabwe in January 2012. The summit will be held under the patronage of the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts & Culture and it’s being facilitated by AfricaBrains. Other sponsors of the summit include Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, NEC, and MacMillan.

Harare City Council suspends fibre optic trenching

Clinton Mutambo — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:58:49 +0000

Like us, you probably woke up to the news that Tendai Mahachi (Harare’s Town Clerk) announced that the City Council has suspended all fibre optic trenching activities in the city. The reason for this was attributed to a breach of agreement on the part of some telecommunications operators and their contractors.

Event: Microsoft Open Door 2011 in Harare

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:45:53 +0000

Microsoft will on 17 November 2011 (tomorrow) host the Microsoft Open Door 2011 event in Harare. The event will be held at Rainbow Towers hotel and will run from 9AM to 1:30 PM. The target audience for the event is academics, IT decision makers and IT managers.

Africa’s Telecoms Titans: Millicom International Cellular

Clinton Mutambo — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:40:57 +0000

Tigo Africa is a part of Millicom International Cellular S.A. The company was founded by the Swedish conglomerate, AB Kinnevik and became one of the pioneers of mobile telephony. It began setting up its first network in 1979 in Sweden and went on to become one of the founding members of Vodafone. Over the last two decades, Millicom has evolved into an emerging markets telecoms operator with core interests in Africa, Central America and South America.

A new local daily deals site called Dhiri to launch

L.S.M Kabweza — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:36:39 +0000

If you’re one to keep your ear on the ground about new local web based services you’ve probably already heard about dhiri.co.zw. You guessed right, it’s a local deal-of-the-day site offering discounts on products available at merchants. The site is by C2 Media, a local creative digital agency with offices in Harare, and in Australia.

Facebook + Life = Lifebook

Guest Author — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:43:12 +0000

One of my friends recently asked on her Facebook status why so many people deactivate their FB accounts when they hit a patch of uncertainty or depression in their lives. I am sure you’ve noticed how people take little holidays from the land of FB and then come back firing great guns like life is a bag of roses again. I can say that with all the sarcasm I want because I have done it too, so don’t hate my honesty!

Computer Society of Zimbabwe to hold ICT Expo in Bulawayo

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:37:38 +0000

We were quite pleased last week to learn that the Bulawayo chapter of the Computer Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ) is ready to hold its first ICT Expo on the 24th and 25th of November (Next week). Pleased because this is yet another opportunity for the industry to showcase the potential of ICT tools for existing business and more importantly for new solutions to some of the social and economic problems faced in the country today.

More information on Liquid Telecom’s Zambia project

L.S.M Kabweza — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:25:26 +0000

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe just sent out a press release on the Liquid fibre project announced last week by Liquid telecoms. Here's a summary of new information in the release: