Blog #Zimbabwe

Some time ago the US announced a list of 7 African countries where no new visas were to be issued for the time being. So basically this meant that those who wanted to apply for new Visas to go to the United States couldn’t expect for officials. In a surprising turn of events the U.S. government announced official application locations for citizens of seven African countries that currently lack local visa services. This move aims to streamline the visa application process for applicants who previously faced the challenge of traveling long distances to access U.S. consular services. So here is what you need to know.

For centuries the standard world map used in schools, offices and pretty much everywhere has been the Mercator projection, a centuries-old map style from the age of sail, still prevails in the internet age. Just in case you didn’t know, it was drawn that way to be easily used for navigation particularly in the sea so generally some of the countries were distorted and their sizes magnified or reduced in size. For example Africa seems like a small continent but the truth is USA, China, South America and most of western Europe can fit into Africa and still leave some space. Relevant African bodies are pushing for the correction of this centuries old misinformation and introduce a map that truly reflect the true sizes of continents and countries. So Here’s what the African Union wants to use instead.

Fraudulent documents are now the theme of the day from fake academic certificates to fake licenses now the ZIMRA Tax Clearance is now being faked. So why does this matter to you?, well a Tax Clearance certificate is something that you need to have when you are running a business whether small or big or if you want to buy or sell properties, it’s an important document but if you are caught with a fake document you risk jail time whether you unknowingly secured it so it’s always best to know what to look out for. Zimbabweans are being advised to verify all Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Clearance Certificates before using them in any legal or property transaction.

Prior to StarLink entry, Zimbabwe had one of the most expensive data packages if not the most expensive in the world. While the introduction of StarLink might have resulted in changes the problem is still not yet resolved. Some giants like Econet were forced to innovate, coming up with SmartBiz to counter the StarLink threat. While StarLink monthly pricing is cheap, well there Kit to get started has a steep price tag which most Zimbabweans can’t afford in one go, that’s why most Zimbabweans have failed to crossover. But StarLink now offers these Kits for free in Zimbabwe and DRC just like how it has done in several European countries but to get a free kit you have to commit to a 12 month subscription plan. So here is all you need to know.

It all starts with a dream and a vision to have a place you call your own, without having to actually worry about monthly rentals or bothersome landlords who can be sometimes too demanding. That pursuit for freedom leads you to deciding on building your own house and you would need a place to build your dream home and that’s where the councils in every city and rurals come in, to sell you the stand to build on. With the instability of our economy, well things don’t go according to plan, you may have the money to buy the stand but you may soon realise you don't earn enough to build a house and the law doesn’t permit resale of undeveloped stands unless you are a licensed developer. If you don’t develop for a certain period your land gets taken without compensation, let’s delve in to what really goes on.

While Zimbabwe might have been slow in embracing the current technology, it’s evident the digital platforms are here to stay and lately we have been trying to keep up. Last year we saw the introduction of electronic case management system for courts then followed by the more recent Border Management System with the latter greatly reducing waiting times on airports and borders. Now it seems a new sector is going to see this digital transformation. In this piece we are going to take a closer look into Validation of Title Deeds Under the New Deed Registries Regulations, 2025 (SI 76 of 2025). It was long overdue but better late than never right?, Zimbabwe has now introduced digital title deeds under new 2025 property law. So how does this really work.

Scams have come in many forms or shape in Zimbabwe, from the infamous E-Creator pyramid scheme that duped millions of their hard earned cash to Metamax and more. There is always a new thing on the block so it’s always advisable to be vigilant and stay up-to date with the latest. Recently a new scam has taken Harare by storm with con artists masquerading as H-Metro journalists and blackmailing people which included a legislator - demanding payments to ensure they don’t publish sensational stories of those targeted individuals. Organised crime is not a new thing but it has evolved in recent times. This new group seems to be targeting influential individuals but no one is off limits for them so how exactly are they doing it.

For the past few years, EcoCash has been introducing new wallets to cope with the times and market demands from introducing USD wallets, merchants, diaspora wallets to even virtual cards. Now EcoCash has launched a special wallet designed specifically for small and medium businesses, vendors, and service providers that in reality account for over 60% of the country’s economy. Dubbed EcoCash 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. This surely is a good move to help small businesses navigate the complexities of operating in an unstable economy. Let’s delve deep.

Just like any asset, cars have rigorous procedures from registrations and licensing fees. Up until now all these procedures were not really available in plain sight for everyone to understand. There is a lot of fees involved in buying a car, it doesn’t end when you purchase the vehicle, there duty, licenses, and more. So what if you bought a car from someone else, well in this case you have to change ownership of the vehicle to legally complete the sale or purchase. To change ownership, you have to follow certain procedures and pay certain fees which what we will look at according to the Ministry.

Gone are the days where most of the processes and procedures were done manually, now almost everything you can think of is now automated with the use of systems and AI. While Zimbabwe maybe be considerably late to the party, we eventually get there one way or the other with the latest sector seeing the shift in technology is the border and customs. Zimbabwe’s Online Border Management System (OBMS) is now fully operational, kicking off an era of digitised immigration services that allows travellers to apply for visas and complete border procedures online.

It’s no secret that most if not all Zimbabweans have little to no trust in the banking sector in Zimbabwe and for good reason. Political instability, policy changes and currency volatility have been all major factors contributing to loss of trust in the banking system with all these issues greatly affecting our currency and economic landscape. Most people are skeptical of banking their because of these inconsistencies and loss of trust in the system. So what we are going to look at what exactly happens to customers when a bank closes in Zimbabwe for whatever reason and we will be looking at how previous failed banks were handled.

By now it’s common knowledge that electricity has been a major problem in Zimbabwe. In recent times the problem seems to be getting worse with no end in sight, Zimbabweans have now resorted to alternative solutions for electricity generation with solar being top of the list. Solar energy is gaining popularity as a renewable power source for homes and businesses worldwide but it is gaining different kind of traction in Zimbabwe as Zesa becomes more and more unreliable. At the heart of this technology are solar panels, which come in four distinct varieties, each with unique characteristics and applications so take a minute to learn exactly which type you should buy so you make an informed decision.