Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is bringing back Technites, a platform that connects independent technicians and artisans with paid work, and it already has a large first contract lined up: putting cameras into 20,000 EcoCash agent locations around the country.
The announcement ran almost word for word in Business Times, CITE, Daily News and The Herald on 12 and 13 October, which suggests a statement issued by the company rather than independent reporting. We could not find a matching release on Econet's own website or a published registration process, so treat what follows as the company's plan rather than a working service you can join today.
What Econet says it is doing
According to Business Times, work has started on registering and training technicians who will take on jobs for Econet and its subsidiaries, and who will also be free to offer their services to other businesses and households. Former Econet senior executive Zac Wazara will lead Technites as a separate business and will hold shares in it.
The first big assignment is the camera rollout at EcoCash agents, which Econet says is needed to meet Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe requirements. The company says the equipment has already been imported. Because many agents work in rural areas, it expects the job to spread work well beyond Harare and Bulawayo.
After that, technicians are to be trained in solar installation and borehole repair, and given motorcycles to reach remote customers. Technites will also take over solar and WiFi installations at clinics and schools, work Econet has been doing itself for several years. Customers will pay through EcoCash, and Econet says it will eventually register skilled workers from other trades and approach other large companies for work.
Group CEO Dr Douglas Mboweni was clear about who he wants on the books. "We are eyeing people who have returned from South Africa, as we know many of them are skilled," he told Business Times. He added that Econet plans to work with government to use Technites to train young people.
This is not a new idea for Econet
Technites first surfaced in October 2015 at Econet's Beyond The Phone Expo. Techzim, which saw a demo at the time, described an app with a localised directory of jobs and skills: people signing up as workers submitted their work history and references, customers booked jobs in the app, workers were rated, and payment went through EcoCash. Techzim called it the "uberification" of Econet.
By 2017 the model had shifted towards contract installation work. In a statement carried by The Standard and republished by Business Daily, then executive head Rahul Patel said Technites had created more than 6,000 jobs and was active in 11 countries, with installations for Liquid Telecom in Rwanda and Lesotho. Workers registered online, were vetted offline, and were promised free training and insurance on every job. In Zimbabwe, the big pipeline at the time was Kwese TV satellite installations, along with plumbing, carpentry, generator maintenance and general electrical work.
Econet now describes the platform as being restored, which implies it had gone dormant, though the company has not said when or why. The revival looks a lot like the 2017 version: a large in-house contract to get people trained and earning, with the open marketplace for household jobs coming later.
Why EcoCash agents need cameras
The camera job is tied to EcoCash's fight against fraud. In January, Zimpricecheck reported that alongside an app update that ties EcoCash to the physical SIM card, EcoCash and the Reserve Bank were tightening rules at agent lines, where scammers often send "runners" to withdraw stolen money. Agents were told to demand an original national ID for every transaction and to have CCTV recording everyone who transacts.
We could not find the Reserve Bank's specific instruction on agent cameras published online, so the exact wording, deadline and penalties remain unclear. The announcement also does not say whether agents will pay anything for the cameras, their installation or their upkeep, and that is the first question agents should be asking their EcoCash contacts. For agents who would otherwise have to find and pay a local installer themselves, especially in rural areas, a nationwide installation team could make compliance a lot simpler.
What it means for the people who sign up
For a returnee from Johannesburg with electrical or installation experience and no local network, a platform that hands out work, training and a motorcycle is a real offer. Zimbabwe has a lot of skilled people working informally, and Technites at least gives them a route to steady jobs from one of the country's biggest companies.
The catch is in the model. Econet is explicit that Technites workers will be working for themselves, with Econet only providing the platform. That means they are independent contractors, not employees, so they would not get the protections that come with a job: no guaranteed income, no paid leave, no pension contributions and no unfair dismissal process unless the platform chooses to offer something similar.
That pattern is familiar across the continent. The Fairwork project, which rates gig platforms against basic labour standards, found that only three of 40 platforms it assessed across six African countries earned any points for providing safe conditions and a safety net against illness or injury. Its researchers argue that platforms can still choose to provide fair pay, training and protection even without employee status. Technites promised training and job insurance in 2017; it would be worth knowing whether the 2026 version does the same, and who owns the motorcycles.
There is also the question of what happens after the cameras. A 20,000-site contract will keep a trained team busy for a while, but once it is done, earnings depend on how much solar, borehole and household work Econet and other companies actually push through the platform.
How to sign up
No registration details had been officially published by 19 October. The announcement says registration and training are already underway, so the places to watch are Econet's and EcoCash's official social media pages, Econet shops, and announcements from Econet itself. Be wary of anyone asking for a fee to "reserve" a Technites place before an official process is announced.
Sources
- Econet restores Technites platform to help create jobs, Business Times
- The uberification of Econet and its new startup Technites, Techzim
- Jobs on standby as Kwese awaits licence, Business Daily News Zimbabwe
- EcoCash Closes Security Loophole: App Now Requires Physical SIM Card to Work, Zimpricecheck
- Policy Brief Summary: An Urgent Call for Fair Working Conditions in Africa, Fairwork
Researched and drafted with the help of AI tools, then fact-checked and edited by our team. How we work.
