EcoCash has launched a Diaspora Wallet that allows Zimbabweans living abroad to pay directly for goods and services in Zimbabwe, rather than simply sending money home.
The service was launched at Zimfest Live in Northampton, the UK’s largest Zimbabwean cultural festival.
Through the EcoCash Super App, users can pay school fees, utility bills, buy ZESA tokens, airtime and data, pay DStv subscriptions, merchants and other bills from abroad. Each payment generates an instant confirmation, allowing users to verify that it has been completed.
Customers can register using an international mobile number without requiring a Zimbabwean SIM card, local bank account or physical presence in Zimbabwe. The wallet can be funded using Visa and Mastercard. During the initial rollout, customers in the UK and South Africa can also use Sasai Money Transfer, with additional funding options to be added over time.
According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, diaspora remittances have exceeded US$2 billion annually in recent years, making them one of the country’s largest sources of foreign currency.
EcoCash said the product addresses a key limitation of traditional remittances.
“For many people in the diaspora, sending money has traditionally meant handing over control once the transfer is complete,” EcoCash said.
“The Diaspora Wallet changes that experience by allowing customers to pay directly for goods and services from wherever they are in the world. Instead of simply sending cash, they can now settle school fees, pay utility bills, purchase groceries, buy airtime or data, pay merchants and support their families with confidence, knowing exactly how their money is being used.”
EcoCash said all transactions are processed within its anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance framework. It added that the platform also allows Zimbabweans abroad to pay household, education, healthcare and business expenses in Zimbabwe without relying on intermediaries.
