ZESA Holdings subsidiary Powertel has answered Econet’s, to allow the country’s largest mobile telecommunication by subscribers and revenue, Econet Wireless to sell electricity tokens via Ecocash to its subscribers.
ZESA had been having trouble effective and the power utility’s banking halls remained congested. The tokens were only sold during working hours in Zesa banking malls.
According to Powertel, 10 big vendors are currently connected CBZ Bank, ZB Bank, POSB, Netone, Zimpost, Homelink, Petrotrade, Agribank ,NetOne, TelOne and OK Supermarkets to sell prepaid electricity on its behalf.
Powertel vending system generates about 95 percent of Zesa Holdings’ prepaid electricity revenue. ZESA spokesman Fullard Gwasira said yesterday that Econet, indicated that it would be ready to start trading yesterday, The Herald has reported .Mr Gwasira said the coming on board of Econet means significant convenience for consumers of electricity in terms of time, location and cost of accessing power; an essential service. Econet Wireless mobile phone subscribers will now be able to purchase prepaid electricity using its widely used mobile money transfer facility, EcoCash, making the process much easier.
Ecocash has over six million customers, which translate to about 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s adult population and close to 26 000 agents in Zimbabwe with some over US$6,6 billion going through the Ecocash platform the past 12 months.
Zesa Holdings said Telecel, Zimbabwe’s third biggest mobile network, will also start trading in prepaid power soon.There are over 33 000 sub-vendors across the country (combined with vendors who all connect directly to Powertel).
The facility has improved revenue collection and security, cutting leakages associated with tempering with the network.The service is accessible through platforms such as point of sale, mobile networks, applications, internet VISA payment facilities.
According to financial gazette the distribution networks for sale of electricity tokens by a Zesa subsidiary, PowerTel, and its technical partners E-solutions often experience congestion and frequent system malfunction and an efficient player such as Econet with reliable infrastructure could bring relief to many customers.
