EcoCash has launched a special wallet designed specifically for small and medium businesses, vendors, and service providers that account for over 60% of the country’s economy.

Dubbed EcoCsh Plus, the company said the new product addresses the day-to-day operational needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), by enabling them to transact, pay bills, manage payroll, and access business records – all through their mobile phones.

“Small businesses are not just surviving – they’re driving our economy. EcoCash Plus is set to make their everyday hustle easier, safer and more connected to opportunities,” EcoCash said in a statement.

Zimbabwe’s informal economy contributes more than 60% of the national GDP, yet many entrepreneurs and traders operate outside the formal financial system, relying heavily on cash.

This limits their growth potential and exposes them to risks such as theft, lack of access to credit and exclusion from broader economic opportunities.

But the statement said EcoCash Plus is set to change that.

“With this wallet, business owners can receive payments from customers and suppliers, buy ZESA tokens, airtime, and pay council bills, pay suppliers, send money to employees and track transactions with digital statements,” the statement said. It added that EcoCash Plus will provide a platform for SMEs to trade with big corporates, where they can order stock using EcoCash plus.

The platform targets a broad spectrum of businesses — including tuckshops, boutiques, small grocery stores, hardware outlets, agro-dealers, motor spares dealers, electronics shops, and craft vendors. It also supports service providers such as salons, tailors, artisans, cleaners, repair technicians, laundry operators, print shops, and photographers, among others.

Financial analysts have welcomed the product, saying its potential to open doors for informal traders are enormous.

“The challenge in the informal sector isn’t a lack of business activity – it’s a lack of data,” said a Harare-based economist.

“EcoCash Plus creates a financial trail that builds credibility and unlocks future access to capital.”

With national development strategies increasingly focused on formalising the informal sector and extending financial services to underserved communities, EcoCash Plus comes at a critical moment.

“We’re offering a wallet and building infrastructure for long-term growth, trust, and financial inclusion,” said EcoCash.

It said to register for EcoCash Plus, customers should send a message to WhatsApp Number 0777 222 152, and follow the prompts guiding them through a brief registration process.

Required documentation includes a valid national ID, proof of residence and a trading license, among other relevant supporting documents.

EcoCash has launched the seventh edition of its flagship ChakaChaya/Ziyawa ne EcoCash promotion, set to reward over 200,000 customers with a host of exciting prizes.

Among the top rewards are a dream holiday to Dubai and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Running from June 19 to August 28, 2025, the promotion offers a wide variety of prizes, including smartphones, solar systems, household appliances, grocery vouchers, and farming equipment.

The campaign was recently named Best Promotion of the Year (2024/25) by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe, in recognition of its innovation, reach, and strong customer engagement. An EcoCash spokesman said:

We are happy to be able to recognise and reward the loyalty of our customers. ChakaChaya is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to the millions of Zimbabweans who use and rely on EcoCash every day.

To participate in the ChakaChaya/Ziyawa ne EcoCash promotion, customers simply need to transact using EcoCash.

Every US$1 spent, or its ZiG equivalent, earns a customer one point, while transactions made through the EcoCash mobile app earn double points.

The promotion features a dynamic, tiered reward system that offers increasingly valuable prizes as customers accumulate more points.

Customers who gather at least 20 points in a week qualify for weekly prize draws. Over the course of the promotion, those who collect 100 points or more are entered into the grand prize draw, while customers who reach 500 points and above become eligible for the most prestigious rewards.

Customers accumulating between 20 and 49 points stand a chance to win airtime and instant cash prizes. Those who earn between 50 and 99 points may walk away with practical household items such as grocery vouchers and gas stoves.

For participants who surpass the 100-point mark, the stakes rise significantly, with potential rewards including smartphones, deep freezers, motorbikes, and even livestock such as cows.

At the top of the ladder, participants who amass 500 points or more will be entered into the draw for the grand prizes.

These include a dream holiday to Dubai, a complete solar power system, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The promotion is crafted to reward loyalty and frequent engagement, making every EcoCash transaction a chance to win. The spokesman said:

We have deliberately designed this campaign to ensure that rewards are accessible across all customer segments. Whether one transacts occasionally or frequently, everyone stands a chance to win.

Customers can check their points balance at any time by dialling 1517#. Winners will be notified through SMS, the EcoCash microsite, or via official EcoCash social media platforms.

Launched in 2018, the ChakaChaya/Ziyawa promotion has grown into one of Zimbabwe’s most recognisable and eagerly awaited annual campaigns, consistently delivering excitement and generous rewards to loyal EcoCash users.

EcoCash has launched the seventh edition of its flagship ChakaChaya/Ziyawa neEcoCash promotion, which will see more than 200 000 customers walk away with exciting prizes – including a dream holiday to Dubai and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Running from June 19 to August 28, 2025, the promotion is offering a wide range of rewards, including smartphones, solar systems, household appliances, grocery vouchers, and farming equipment among others.

This year’s campaign comes on the heels of a significant milestone – having just been voted Best Promotion of the Year (2024/25) by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe, in recognition of its impact, innovation and customer engagement.

“We are happy to be able to recognise and reward the loyalty of our customers. ChakaChaya is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to the millions of Zimbabweans who use and rely on EcoCash every day,” an EcoCash spokesman said.

To participate in the promotion, customers just need totransact using EcoCash. Every US$1 (or its ZIG equivalent) spent earns a customer one point, while transactions done through the EcoCash mobile App earn double points.

Customers who accumulate at least 20 points per week qualify for weekly draws, while those with 100 points or more overthe promotion period stand a chance to enter the grand prize draw. Those who reach 500 points and above become eligible for the top-tier prizes.

The promotion is built around an exciting, tiered reward system designed to reward customers based on their level of usage. Customers who accumulate between 20 and 49 points stand a chance to win airtime and instant cash, while those earning 50 to 99 points can walk away with grocery vouchers and gas stoves.

For customers who reach 100 points or more, the rewards get even more exciting – with customers standing the chance to win smartphones, deep freezers, motorbikes and even cows for those looking to invest in livestock.

At the top of the ladder, those who achieve 500 points and above will enter the draw for the grand prizes: a luxurious holiday to Dubai, a full solar power system, and a trip to the 2025 AFCON games in Morocco.

“We have deliberately designed this campaign to ensure that rewards are accessible across all customer segments. Whether one transacts occasionally or frequently, everyone stands a chance to win,” the spokesman said.

Customers can check their points balance by dialing *151*7#, and winners will be notified via SMS, the EcoCash microsite, or on the official EcoCash social media pages.

Launched in 2018, the ChakaChaya/Ziyawa promotion has evolved into one of the most recognisable and eagerly anticipated promotions in Zimbabwe.

Previous editions of the campaigns have awarded prizes that have included school fees, farming equipment, airtime, and international travel packages.

 

 

EcoCash has launched the seventh edition of its flagship ChakaChaya/Ziyawa neEcoCash promotion, which will see more than 200 000 customers walk away with exciting prizes – including a dream holiday to Dubai and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Running from June 19 to August 28, 2025, the promotion is offering a wide range of rewards, including smartphones, solar systems, household appliances, grocery vouchers, and farming equipment among others.

This year’s campaign comes on the heels of a significant milestone – having just been voted Best Promotion of the Year (2024/25) by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe, in recognition of its impact, innovation and customer engagement.

“We are happy to be able to recognise and reward the loyalty of our customers. ChakaChaya is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to the millions of Zimbabweans who use and rely on EcoCash every day,” an EcoCash spokesman said.

To participate in the promotion, customers just need totransact using EcoCash. Every US$1 (or its ZIG equivalent) spent earns a customer one point, while transactions done through the EcoCash mobile App earn double points.

Customers who accumulate at least 20 points per week qualify for weekly draws, while those with 100 points or more overthe promotion period stand a chance to enter the grand prize draw. Those who reach 500 points and above become eligible for the top-tier prizes.

The promotion is built around an exciting, tiered reward system designed to reward customers based on their level of usage. Customers who accumulate between 20 and 49 points stand a chance to win airtime and instant cash, while those earning 50 to 99 points can walk away with grocery vouchers and gas stoves.

For customers who reach 100 points or more, the rewards get even more exciting – with customers standing the chance to win smartphones, deep freezers, motorbikes and even cows for those looking to invest in livestock.

At the top of the ladder, those who achieve 500 points and above will enter the draw for the grand prizes: a luxurious holiday to Dubai, a full solar power system, and a trip to the 2025 AFCON games in Morocco.

“We have deliberately designed this campaign to ensure that rewards are accessible across all customer segments. Whether one transacts occasionally or frequently, everyone stands a chance to win,” the spokesman said.

Customers can check their points balance by dialing *151*7#, and winners will be notified via SMS, the EcoCash microsite, or on the official EcoCash social media pages.

Launched in 2018, the ChakaChaya/Ziyawa promotion has evolved into one of the most recognisable and eagerly anticipated promotions in Zimbabwe.

Previous editions of the campaigns have awarded prizes that have included school fees, farming equipment, airtime, and international travel packages.

Despite the advent of new financial technology (fintech) players in Zimbabwe’s digital payments space, market watchers say EcoCash remains the market leader in size, transaction volume and the number of services it offers.

The country’s fintech sector has seen a significant increase in new players such as Omari, Innbucks, Mojo Mula and Mukuru in the mobile money business, which had previously been made up of EcoCash, NetOne’s OneMoney and Telecel’s TeleCash.

However, EcoCash — owned by Econet Wireless Zimbabwe — remains the market leader because of its extensive service portfolio, its established presence, owing to its early market entry in 2011,  and its deep integration into the socio and economic lives of Zimbabweans.

EcoCash’s competitive edge lies in its broad range of use cases, which extend beyond basic mobile money services. These include peer-to-peer and bulk payments, cash-in and cash-out services, EcoCash Mastercard for online and international transactions, bill payments (Zesa, DSTV, municipal services), merchant payments, school fee payments, Junior Wallet for minors, Bureau de Change services, diaspora remittances, and NSSA pension payments.

Economic analyst Ethel Takaendesa attributes EcoCash’s continued dominance to its first-mover advantage and ability to innovate.

“EcoCash pioneered the mobile money revolution in Zimbabwe and remains ahead of the pack due to continuous innovation and a deep understanding of local market needs. Its ecosystem is vast, covering everything from diaspora remittances to everyday merchant payments,” he said.

Takaendesa said new entrants, such as Mukuru, offer limited services and do not provide additional functionalities like Zesa token purchases, school payments, church paymentsand the Junior Wallet — a feature offered by EcoCash, that allows parents to set up and manage mobile wallets for their children.

When compared to Innbucks, he said EcoCash provides key differentiators such as multi-recipient money transfer (send money to many feature), DSTV payments, and Bureau de Change services.

In contrast to Old Mutual’s Omari, which has gained traction in digital payments, EcoCash still maintains a significant lead, offering additional functionalities such as diaspora remittances, church payments, and foreign currency exchange services.

According to the latest reports from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, EcoCash accounts for more than 70% of all national payment transactions — encompassing both mobile platforms and traditional banking services.  Additionally, industry data indicates that EcoCash holds over 86% of the country’s share of the mobile money market.

Financial expert Ngoni Dzirutwe said EcoCash’s continued leadership is a result of its scale and adaptability.

“EcoCash’s vast network, reliability and integration with banks and merchants make it difficult for new players to overtake it. Trust plays a big role in financial services, and EcoCash has built that trust over the years,” Dzirutwe noted.

Although EcoCash continues to lead the market, competition in the country’s fintech space is evidently growing, with players such as Mukuru and Innbucks aggressively expanding their services.

As global fintech adoption grows — especially in Africa — and new players enter the market, EcoCash’s ability to maintain its market leadership will be tested. Its foundation of a strong brand and a broad suite of serviceswill no doubt buy it time, according to experts.

But in the long run, whether or not the company remains on top of an evolving digital payments landscape will depend on its ability to use technology to sustain innovation, and its ability adapt to customer needs, analysts say.

EcoCash, Zimbabwe’s leading mobile money platform, has launched a new promotion offering customers the chance to win a variety of prizes, including an all-expenses-paid holiday for two to Zanzibar. The promotion, which runs until April 2025, encourages users to transact using their EcoCash MasterCard for a chance to win.

According to promotional materials circulating on social media, customers who spend at least US$10 using their EcoCash MasterCard will be automatically entered into weekly draws. These draws will reward lucky winners with smartphones, mobile data, groceries, and restaurant vouchers, among other prizes. The campaign aims to encourage digital payments while offering exciting incentives to participants.

Customers who spend between US$10 and US$29 will have a chance to win mobile data, while those who spend between US$30 and US$49 can win restaurant vouchers. Transactions above US$50 will qualify for grocery vouchers, and those exceeding US$100 will put customers in the running for smartphones. In addition to these weekly prizes, customers who spend US$35 or more will automatically be entered into a grand prize draw for an exclusive getaway to Zanzibar. This luxurious holiday includes three nights’ accommodation, meals, flights, and transfers to and from the airport.

EcoCash has made it easy for customers to participate in the promotion. Users can generate a virtual EcoCash MasterCard by dialing 153242# and entering their PIN. The virtual card, which is valid for one year, enables customers to make online payments and qualify for the promotion. Those who prefer a physical MasterCard can obtain one from any Econet shop across the country.

The EcoCash MasterCard is widely accepted both locally and internationally, allowing users to make purchases at millions of merchants worldwide. It can be used for online payments on platforms such as Netflix, Avon, Alibaba, Facebook, and Apple, as well as for airline bookings, hotel reservations, and transactions at POS terminals and ATMs globally.

The promotion is expected to drive increased usage of the EcoCash MasterCard while offering customers valuable rewards. With a range of prizes up for grabs and an opportunity to win a dream holiday, the campaign is set to generate significant interest among EcoCash users.