Current Affairs Zimbabwe

Category: Business

  • Air Zim no-show: Mangudya misses London launch for second time as July 1 flight fails

    Air Zim no-show: Mangudya misses London launch for second time as July 1 flight fails

    Staff Reporter

    HARARE —The ambitious revival of the direct Harare-London air link reportedly suffered a major setback yesterday as the highly anticipated inaugural flight failed to depart from Harare International Airport for Gatwick, with sources saying passengers and stakeholders were left reeling from what critics are calling a broken promise by the authorities.

    Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) Chief Executive Officer Dr John Mangudya had publicly pegged July 1 as the definitive date for the resumption of the route, framing it as a cornerstone of the national airline’s strategic revival. This was the second deadline set by Mangudya, after a previous pledge to relaunch London flights “by June this year, or before June” was missed.

    Despite these high-level assurances, the national carrier failed to deliver, according to sources who told this publication that the expected Air Zimbabwe service did not operate as scheduled.

    The failure to launch marks a humiliating blow to the government’s efforts to reintegrate the national airline into the lucrative international market.

    The route was intended to be operated through a 13-month Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) lease agreement with Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas. The deal was brokered to bypass the fact that Air Zimbabwe remains barred from European Union and UK airspace due to long-standing safety concerns.

    This latest disruption gives credence to the fragile history of the London-Harare corridor. The national carrier last operated consistent direct flights to London in early 2012, using Boeing 767 aircraft, before the service collapsed under the weight of mounting financial debts and the impounding of aircraft by creditors.

    For over 14 years, the Zimbabwean diaspora and business travellers have been forced to rely on indirect, time-consuming connections through hubs such as Johannesburg, Addis Ababa and Doha.

    Expectations were high that this year’s relaunch would finally address this connectivity gap, with Dr Mangudya having previously touted the route as a primary objective of the Mutapa Investment Fund’s strategy to “resuscitate the national airline to its past glory”.

    With the July 1 deadline now missed, the government faces renewed scrutiny regarding the operational readiness of its state-owned enterprises and the credibility of its public commitments.

    Neither the Mutapa Investment Fund nor Air Zimbabwe had provided an explanation for the grounded flight at the time of writing, leaving travellers who had booked the inaugural service in a state of uncertainty.

    This publication could not get comment at the time of writing. A search of recognised air tracking databases yielded no results.

    There was no public ADS-B/tracking data showing an Air Zimbabwe or Plus Ultra aircraft operating the scheduled Harare-Gatwick service on July 1 2026.

  • House of Stone Properties rebrands to HSP Realty, eyes global expansion

    House of Stone Properties rebrands to HSP Realty, eyes global expansion

    Staff Reporter

    HARARE — Zimbabwe’s premier real estate firm, formerly known as House of Stone Properties, has officially rebranded to HSP Realty in a strategic move designed to support the company’s aggressive expansion and cement its growing footprint in the international property market.

    The rebranding marks an evolution for the firm and reflects its vision to align the company’s identity with its global ambitions. According to the company, the change will create a sharper, more recognizable brand capable of navigating international real estate complexities while maintaining its deep-rooted commitment to local excellence.

    Brand refreshed: HSP Realty announces new brand as they flip new page to global heights

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Leonita Mhishi, the firm’s Principal Registered Estate Agent, said the change is more than just a cosmetic adjustment.

    “Because the future of real estate is global, we have adopted a shorter, stronger, more memorable brand that reflects our expanding international presence and our commitment to world-class service,” Mhishi said.

    The firm’s new visual identity features signature premium burgundy and gold colours chosen to symbolize trust, prestige, excellence, and opportunity. The shift comes alongside strengthened leadership, enhanced service standards, and a diverse team of professionals positioned to serve both local and international clients with confidence.

    HSP Realty is also leveraging strategic global partnerships to unlock new possibilities for property buyers, sellers, investors, and developers.

    Mhishi put it clear that while the name has evolved, the company’s core commitments remain unchanged.

    All existing agreements and ongoing transactions will continue seamlessly under the new brand.

    Operating under the payoff line “SPOT IT. SEE IT. SECURE IT.”,

    HSP Realty aims to simplify the property journey for clients while delivering world-class results. The company’s head office remains at 21 Harare Drive, Borrowdale in Harare.

    “This is not just a rebrand, it’s a statement of intent,”

    Mhishi added.

    “We are building a real estate company that competes globally but stays grounded in the values that made House of Stone Properties a trusted name in Zimbabwe.”

  • US$3.8 million Watervlei Burial Park development gains momentum

    By Nigel Pfunde

    Harare — THE ambitious Watervlei Burial Park project along Seke Road has reached a significant milestone, with developers injecting US$3.8 million into the first phase of an initiative designed to provide a dignified final resting place for liberation war heroes.

    The development sits on 80 hectares and is earmarked to accommodate approximately 8 000 liberation war heroes whose remains are currently in unmarked graves in neighbouring countries.

    Beyond its commemorative significance, the project is set to provide critical burial capacity for the capital as existing facilities, including the Provincial Heroes Acre at Warren Hills, face mounting pressure. The development is also expected to create over 200 jobs for local residents.

    Project manager Ismail Nanabawa, speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, confirmed that construction commenced in late 2024 and the site is on track to become operational by the final quarter of this year.

    “In terms of total investment for the whole Watervlei Burial Park, we’re looking at investing US$3.8 million for the first phase of the project,” said Nanabawa. “This includes everything, bearing in mind we are putting a massive fence around the entire site. We have a major plant as part of rehabilitating the ground to plant close to 1000 trees.”

    Nanabawa said that significant financial and logistical resources were required to rehabilitate the site, which had suffered extensive environmental damage due to illegal dumping and sand poaching.

    “What has taken us, I can’t put it in words exactly how much time and effort has gone into rehabilitating the sites. When I say illegal dumping, people often think it’s just a smoker, but some of these are higher than this gazebo. So that’s a significant cost for us,” he explained.

    Extensive earthworks were necessary over the past two years to fill pits, introduce quality soil, and ensure proper compaction.

    “The main portion of the works or the highest cost will be the roads. We have an irrigation system we have to build. We have the herse ways we have to build,” Nanabawa added.

    “We also have the traffic circle, or depending on the Ministry of Transport’s final approval, whether we are building access lanes or traffic lights, we have a significant development to do on the intersection as well.”
    The project has secured the endorsement of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) and the Memories of Zimbabwe Armed Struggle Trust (MOZAST).
    In recognition of the sacrifices made for the country’s Independence, developers have donated 8,000 burial plots to MOZAST specifically for the repatriation of veterans.
    The initiative aligns with wider national efforts to address the status of those lost during the struggle.

    “An estimated 30,000 Zimbabwean war veterans are buried outside of the country in unmarked graves and even mass graves, some 45 years after the country’s liberation struggle,” Nanabawa said.

    Meanwhile, the recently tabled Reburial and Memorialisation Bill, once passed, will enable the Government to formally collaborate with the War Veterans, churches, traditional leaders and families in a structured and well-resourced reburial programme.

    Nanabawa further said o preserve history, the development will feature a War Veterans Archway at the entrance of the dedicated section and a Museum within the Remembrance Village to be curated by MOZAST.

    This US$3.8 million investment marks a pivotal step in the national mandate to honour the country’s liberation icons, ensuring that those who fought for Zimbabwe’s sovereignty receive the formal recognition and dignified burial they have long been denied.

  • Govt to set up Advisory Council to “oversee’ management of Tourism Fund

    Govt to set up Advisory Council to “oversee’ management of Tourism Fund

    By Nigel Pfunde

    HARARE- Government is set to establish an Advisory Council to ‘oversee’ the management of the Tourism Fund, Express Mail Zim can report .

    The landmark resolution was revealed at the historic inaugural Zimbabwe Tourism Authority AGM convened in Harare on Wednesday, for the first time since the Authority’s inception in 1996.

    The proposed Advisory Council is a hybrid body comprising both private and public sector players and will advise the Tourism Minister in her capacity as Trustee of the Fund.

    The measure is one of several critical interventions aimed at closing systemic gaps that had previously undermined public confidence in the previous dispensation.

    “We are awaiting the new Tourism Bill to be signed by President Mnangagwa, and in our quest to restore accountability of the Tourism Fund, we will set up a Council to advise the Trustee,” revealed Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa, Permanent Secretary of the Tourism Ministry, who stood proxy for Minister Barbara Rwodzi at the meeting. “The advisory council will be a hybrid consisting of both private and public sector players.”

    The announcement came in response to concerns raised by legislator Joana Mamombe (who was in the house) , Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Environment, Climate and Wildlife, signaling a new era of stakeholder engagement and parliamentary oversight.

    Dr Munyanyiwa made it unequivocally clear that the AGM was not merely a procedural formality but a fundamental reset for ZTA, founded on stakeholder confidence, performance excellence and uncompromising accountability.

    In a candid appraisal of past failures, Dr Munyanyiwa subtly but firmly pointed to systemic accountability lapses under the stewardship of the late chief executive Karikoga Kaseke, revealing that proper financial protocols had been routinely bypassed.

    “The procedure is the collected levies belong to the State and the Trustee is the minister; it’s not ZTA money,” he explained. “The chief executive then awaits authority from the minister after submitting budgets, and it seems such was not the case.”

    The Advisory Council, alongside other governance reforms, is designed to permanently seal such loopholes, ensuring that the Trustee’s authority is respected and that public funds are subjected to rigorous scrutiny and oversight.

    Delivering Minister Rwodzi’s formal address, Dr Munyanyiwa said that the raft of measures adopted at the AGM, from the Advisory Council to enhanced financial protocols and board restructuring, constitutes a comprehensive governance overhaul.

    “This gathering marks a significant milestone in strengthening governance, accountability, transparency and stakeholder engagement within our tourism sector,” he said. “The convening of this inaugural AGM reflects the Authority’s commitment to sound corporate governance, institutional renewal and responsible leadership.”

    The minister acknowledged the governance challenges that necessitated the suspension of the previous Board, revealing that Government had undertaken a comprehensive reform process aimed at restoring accountability, institutional credibility, and public confidence which is a process that has now culminated in the appointment of a substantive Board and Chief Executive Officer.

    “We are pleased that this process has culminated in the appointment of a substantive Board and Chief Executive Officer, laying a firm foundation for a stronger and more effective Authority,” Munyanyiwa said.

    The Board Chairperson, Mr. Farai Chimba, Management led by Dr George M. Manyaya, and the entire ZTA team were commended for their “commitment to rebuilding systems, strengthening governance structures, and restoring stakeholder confidence.”

    The minister emphasised that good governance remains the cornerstone of sustainable institutions, urging the Board and Management to continue fostering a culture of professionalism, integrity, ethical leadership, and prudent stewardship of public resources. With the Advisory Council now poised to become a reality upon the signing of the new Tourism Bill, the inaugural AGM has effectively served as the launchpad for a new era where the old systems of unchecked authority and opaque management are definitively swept aside in favor of a transparent, accountable and stakeholder-driven future.

  • ZIMASCO chief quit after being subjected to vote

    ZIMASCO chief quit after being subjected to vote

    CHAMBER of Mines President of Zimbabwe and ZIMASCO CEO John Musekiwa broke down in tears and quit in chaotic leadership vote.

    Musekiwa, broke down in tears and quit mid-meeting on May 28, declining an endorsement he had already received and plunging the industry body into a leadership crisis that sources say bears the hallmarks of a deliberate conspiracy.

    The previously unreported developments come on the eve of the Chamber’s Annual Mining Conference and Exhibition, which opens in Victoria Falls on Wednesday, with the newly installed president, Fungai Makoni, the managing director of platinum miner MIMOSA, expected to preside over the four-day gathering.

    The dramatic scenes unfolded during an online Annual General Meeting (AGM) attended by 34 paid-up members – a gathering that was supposed to be a formality.

    ZIMASCO CEO Musekiwa, his first vice president Munashe Shava – the administrator of Hwange Colliery – and second vice president Makoni had all been nominated three weeks earlier and, in keeping with Chamber tradition, were expected to be endorsed without contest. Under the Chamber’s leadership structure, the president and his two deputies each serve two consecutive one-year terms.

    Succession follows the same hierarchy: the first vice president is expected to ascend to the presidency in due course, with the second vice president rising behind him.

    Musekiwa’s abrupt departure upended that succession ladder. Traditionally, after uncontested nominations, there has never been an election for the president and the two deputies. But a veteran mining executive, who is also a past president, intervened the moment endorsements were put to the floor, demanding that each candidate be voted on individually.

    “The intervention came as a surprise because, traditionally, the top three never go through an election after uncontested nomination, even though this is something that is provided for in the constitution,” said a senior mining industry executive who attended the meeting.

    Lawyers were on hand, a detail that struck several attendees as suspicious. “The lawyers were ready to explain this unusual occurrence,” the executive added. Musekiwa was put to the vote and endorsed.

    Then the same past president intervened again, insisting Musekiwa be given the opportunity to accept or decline. What followed shook the meeting. At that point, Musekiwa is said to have broken down before announcing that he was declining the endorsement, citing health reasons.

    The million-dollar question, sources said, is why he waited until that moment to withdraw. His departure immediately triggered a constitutional puzzle. With the presidency vacant, the second vice president, Makoni, was put forward for the top post ahead of first vice president Shava – itself an unprecedented move for the Chamber. Procedural wrangling followed as Shava and Makoni were locked in an election.

    Questions were raised about the absence of auditors to oversee the vote, only for it to emerge that auditors were already present. “Someone raised questions about logistics for the elections, such as the need for auditors, but to our surprise auditors were present, and this was also odd,” another executive said.

    An initial proposal to vote by a show of hands was abandoned after concerns were raised. “Initially, they said voting would be done through a show of hands, but some were uncomfortable and eventually it was decided that voting would happen through email,” the executive said. What followed made the email vote itself suspect, a source said.

    Some attendees are alleged to have used the confusion to campaign actively, with Shava reportedly targeted by a de-campaigning effort orchestrated by an executive from one of Zimbabwe’s leading platinum miners. A vote that normally takes less than ten minutes dragged on for over 45 minutes.

    “We have established that people who had voted in a certain way were coerced to change their positions, and they rewrote emails indicating that they were switching candidates,” one executive said. “As more information comes to light on what happened behind the scenes, it points to a huge scandal.”

    Makoni was eventually elected the Chamber’s new president. That outcome meant Shava retained his first vice president post rather than ascending to the presidency in line with the normal succession order.

    However, Shava subsequently resigned, sources said, because he believed the process had been manipulated. Musekiwa and Shava both declined to comment. The post Chamber of mines chief broke down in tears and quit in chaotic leadership vote appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

     

  • OneMoney expands access,through bank partnerships across Zim

    OneMoney expands access,through bank partnerships across Zim

    By Kudakwashe Matizanadzo

    Harare- NetOne’s mobile financial services platform OneMoney is orchestrating a three-pronged transformation across Zimbabwe’s financial landscape, leveraging an extensive distribution network that combines traditional banking infrastructure with mobile money agility to expand financial access, generate employment and streamline transactions for millions of Zimbabweans.

    The State-owned mobile network operator has forged partnerships with six banking institutions including AFC Commercial Bank, POSB, NBS Bank, BancABC, FBC Bank, and Crown Bank to enable seamless Bank-to-Wallet and Wallet-to-Bank integrations

    Industry observers note that the initiative’s true differentiator lies in the physical density of its distribution channels, which now span 79 traditional bank branches, hundreds of Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals at retail outlets and NetOne’s own retail presence across virtually every district in the country.

    POSB operates 45 branches across all provinces, while AFC Commercial Bank contributes another 34 locations, with significant concentration in growth points and rural agricultural hubs. Beyond the brick-and-mortar footprint, NBS Bank and POSB offer branch-based account linking, enabling customers without smartphones or internet connectivity to participate in the digital financial ecosystem.

    The distribution strategy has generated substantial employment opportunities through its agent banking framework. Every bank branch integrated with OneMoney requires additional transaction marshals or financial advisors, while agents at multiple levels earn commissions on cash-in, cash-out, bill payments, and transfer services.

    The recent implementation of agent interoperability has effectively doubled service points: POSB and AFC agents now offer OneMoney services, while OneMoney agents provide access to POSB and AFC transactions, creating a reciprocal arrangement that has generated thousands of direct and in direct jobs across the country.

    “This initiative is not just about transaction, it is about empowering communities,” said Ms Tracy Madziwa, Head of Sales and Marketing at OneMoney.

    “Every branch we connect, every agent we onboard, is a local job creator. Our intense distribution network ensures that no Zimbabwean walks more than a few kilometres to access formal financial services, while also earning a living by offering those services.”

    The dense distribution network has particular significance for rural communities and informal traders who have historically faced barriers to formal financial services. A vegetable vendor can receive payments directly to her OneMoney wallet from customers using a POSB or AFC POS machine, while cross-border traders can instantly move earnings between bank accounts and wallets to pay suppliers without carrying cash. Parents can pay school fees in seconds from their phones, and families in rural areas receive remittances without spending a day travelling to the nearest bank because the nearest bank might now be a NetOne shop just down the road.

    Joseph Machiva, General Manager for NetOne Financial Services and Acting Chief Commercial Officer of NetOne, emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative:

    “Our mission is clear: financial inclusion for all. By combining the credibility of banks with the agility of mobile money and backing it with 79 bank branches, hundreds of agents, and NetOne’s own retail footprint we are removing traditional barriers to banking. And as this ecosystem grows, so do opportunities for employment.”

    OneMoney has implemented a float rebalancing framework with POSB and AFC as Super Agents, ensuring that all distribution points remain liquid and service delivery remains uninterrupted even in the busiest rural markets. The ease of transfer is instant. A salaried worker with FBC or Crown Bank can use the FBC Yo app to fund their OneMoney wallet, then send money to relatives in rural areas who can withdraw cash at any POSB branch, AFC branch, NetOne shop, or authorised agent nearby. Reverse transfers from wallet to bank are also supported, giving users full control of their funds.

    Edmore Makanha, Head of Operations at NetOne Financial Services, highlighted the operational impact: “With Bank-to-Wallet and our dense distribution channels, customers no longer need to queue at banking halls or travel long distances. They can fund wallets instantly from home and withdraw or deposit cash at a point within walking distance. That ease of doing business whether for a parent, a farmer, or a small retaileris what drives real economic participation.”

    As adoption continues to grow, OneMoney plans to onboard additional banking partners and expand its agent network further, deepening financial inclusion and job creation across Zimbabwe’s formal and informal economies. The platform’s strategy represents a significant bet on the integration of traditional banking infrastructure with mobile financial services as a pathway to broader economic participation in a country where a substantial portion of the population remains unbanked or underbanked.

  • FEGMA Mining deploys emergency supply chains to stabilise Chikomba’s infrastructure deluge

    FEGMA Mining deploys emergency supply chains to stabilise Chikomba’s infrastructure deluge

    By Kudzai Jakachira

    CHIKOMBA— Fegma Mining has launched a massive logistical rescue mission throughout the Chikomba Rural District, dispatching heavy equipment and essential construction materials to halt a dangerous structural emergency that threatens local schools and clinics.

    This urgent deployment happens at a crucial turning point for the miner, because by showcasing elite logistics and an adaptable disaster-relief strategy, Fegma is proving it possesses the operational maturity required to launch its planned expansion into highly regulated global markets.

    Fegma’s ability to rapidly re-route vast quantities of premium quarry stone comes from its major commercial role in the Harare–Beitbridge Highway expansion, which is a multi-million-dollar national transport project. Utilizing this active industrial pipeline, the enterprise efficiently reassigned its heavy-duty trucking fleet from national highway construction to regional emergency aid, creating a masterclass in how global mining corporations can weaponize their primary industrial assets to protect local communities during public crises.

    Internal tracking records show that the focused intervention successfully reinforced multiple damaged properties. In the schooling sector, Chokuudza Primary School was secured with forty cubic meters of quarry aggregates for vital foundation reinforcement, while Runyaro Primary School was supplied with ninety tonnes of stone for urgent structural building.

    Makumimavi Primary School was provisioned with two water boreholes and earth-moving machinery to guarantee clean water and speed up terrain leveling, just as Chigara and Tagwinya Primary Schools were granted twenty cubic meters of aggregate each to restart paused structural repairs. Furthermore, Daramombe and Nhakayedu High Schools were provided with over thirty tonnes of combined supplies and transport aid to reconstruct storm-ravaged classrooms.

    The medical relief network was equally reinforced across the region. Mashayamvura Clinic was sustained with twenty cubic meters and a subsequent thirty tonnes of stone for foundation restoration and pedestrian paths, while Chipisa Clinic was boosted by seventy-five tonnes of material, which jumpstarted a frozen project to bring healthcare access closer to nearby residents. Finally, Munyati, Kadungure, Gamanya, and Chavagona Clinics shared over one hundred and ten tonnes of specialized aggregate to lock down unstable foundations and accelerate delayed medical expansions.

    Outside of raw building materials, Fegma buttressed the region’s civic sector by funding the logistics for the local Independence Day festivities, and this economic safety net protected a heavily burdened local government budget, enabling regional leaders to keep public funds focused on wider municipal recovery.

    The magnitude of this help was verified by the Acting District Development Officer, Mrs. Chambok, who categorized Fegma’s ongoing aid as indispensable to the community’s survival, emphasizing that multiple critical projects would have completely failed without this corporate intervention.

    For international finance groups and overseas regulatory bodies, Fegma’s efforts in Chikomba offer concrete proof of sophisticated Environmental, Social, and Governance capability. By taking swift, quantifiable responsibility for local emergencies, the firm directly integrates its corporate activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically satisfying Sustainable Development Goal six for clean water and sanitation via water well drilling, and Sustainable Development Goal nine for industry, innovation, and infrastructure through rapid supply distribution. This verified history of turning corporate social responsibility into organized, practical execution gives Fegma a powerful edge as it works to earn its social license to operate in incoming global markets.

  • Harare-London route: Mutapa Investment Fund-driven Air Zim route relaunch set to boost diaspora ties, tourism,jobs

    Harare-London route: Mutapa Investment Fund-driven Air Zim route relaunch set to boost diaspora ties, tourism,jobs

    By Nigel Pfunde 

    HARARE – The impending resumption of direct Air Zimbabwe flights between Harare and London Gatwick, facilitated by the Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF), is expected to deliver major economic dividends for the national economy, including strengthened diaspora linkages, a surge in tourism arrivals, and significant employment creation across the aviation value chain.

    The route, which remains on course for relaunch after a 14-year hiatus, will see Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas provide an Airbus A330 under an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance arrangement, while Air Zimbabwe markets and sells tickets under its own flight code.

    MIF Chief Executive Officer John Mangudya said the service aligns with a wider strategy to revive strategic state entities under the fund’s portfolio for instance positive inroads being made in breathing life to the National Railways of Zimbabwe which was in comatose.

    “The service would return in the first half of 2026 as part of a broader airline revival strategy, which includes the sale of certain aircraft to streamline operations,” Mangudya said.

    Economic analysts note that the direct link is poised to strengthen connections with Zimbabwe’s sizeable diaspora in the United Kingdom, directly supporting remittances, trade, and investment flows. The route is also expected to revive the export channel for horticulture and other perishables, which historically reached United Kingdom shelves within a day of harvest.

    In the tourism sector, industry players have hailed the development as a catalyst for growth.

    “This route is a game-changer for inbound tourism. Direct access from the UK will make Zimbabwe a more attractive package for tour operators and will drive arrivals into Victoria Falls, Hwange and our cultural sites,” a senior official with the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism said. “More visitors mean more bookings, more guides hired, and more revenue circulating in local communities.”

    The whole aviation sector will benefit and it also helps connectivity as we move into a global village.

  • Former H.I.T Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Garikayi honoured by at the ZimCEO Awards.

    Former H.I.T Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Garikayi honoured by at the ZimCEO Awards.

    By Kudakwashe Matizanadzo

    Harare-NetOne Cellular Non-Executive board member and former Pro-Vice Chancellor at Harare Institute of Technology Professor Talon Garikayi was honoured with the Outstanding C-Suite Academic/Tertiary award at the just ended ZimCEOs Network awards held in Victoria Falls from June 10 to 13.

    The award was in recognition of his pioneering contributions to engineering, innovation, research and the development of practical home-grown technology solutions.
    His achievement has been hailed as a reflection of the depth of expertise and thought leadership that continues to strengthen NetOne’s governance and strategic direction.
    “This honour reaffirms NetOne’s commitment to visionary leadership, innovation excellence and nation building as we continue connecting communities and empowering Zimbabwe’s digital future” wrote the telecoms giant on their X account.

    The main excellence and innovation awards ceremony took place at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, honouring top business executives, C-Suite leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving economic transformation in Zimbabwe.
    Professor Garikayi is a former Pro-Vice Chancellor at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and currently the Deputy Chancellor of Africa University.
    He is a certified Design Thinking Methodology Expert from Hasso Plattner Institute, Germany and holds a PhD in Mechatronics from Stellenbosch University specializing in Bionics, Artificial Intelligence and their applications in Biomedical engineering.
    He has a strong bias towards firmware and hardware designs for IT embedded systems.

  • NetOne chief executive bags top C-Suite award at ZimCEO network ceremony

    NetOne chief executive bags top C-Suite award at ZimCEO network ceremony

    By Kudakwashe Matizanadzo

    VICTORIA FALLS — NetOne Cellular Group Chief Executive Engineer Raphael Mushanawani, has been crowned the overall Super Platinum winner and named C-Suite Executive of the Year at the ZimCEOs Network awards, held in the resort town of Victoria Falls from June 10 to 13.

    The prestigious accolade, which recognizes exceptional leadership, strategic vision, innovation and transformative impact, stands as a sign to the remarkable progress and growing influence of the NetOne brand.

    “Under Engineer Mushanawani’s stewardship, NetOne has continued to expand connectivity, drive digital transformation, champion financial inclusion and create meaningful socio-economic impact across Zimbabwe,” the telecommunications giant wrote on its X handle.

    The main excellence and innovation awards ceremony took place at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, honoring top business executives, C-Suite leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving economic transformation in Zimbabwe.

    Adding to the CEO’s victory, NetOne Non-Executive board member Professor Talon Garikayi received the Outstanding C-Suite Academic/Tertiary award in recognition of his pioneering contributions to engineering, innovation, research and the development of practical home-grown technology solutions. His achievement reflects the depth of expertise and thought leadership strengthening NetOne’s governance and strategic direction.

    “Together, these honours reaffirm NetOne’s commitment to visionary leadership, innovation excellence and nation building as we continue connecting communities and empowering Zimbabwe’s digital future,” the statement added.

    Recently, NetOne has embarked on a nationwide drive to establish One Money agencies, making money transfers more accessible to the general populace and ensuring wider financial inclusion. The company is also integrating artificial intelligence into its operations to transform network management and customer service, underscoring its continuous drive to bridge the digital divide.