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Covid-19 jump-starts online retail sales in Zimbabwe

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BY EVIDENCE CHENJERAI

MUTARE- Kenneth Mudzingwa has worked and studied in Turkey for five and a half years.

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To help his two siblings with groceries, the Zimbabwean citizen used a money transfer service that sometimes took days.

But since last June, he has ordered toiletries, cooking oil, maize meal, milk, sugar and other basics via a supermarket website. The items usually arrive in 24 hours.

“My siblings just send me a list of what they want and I complete the transaction from here, and they get notified of the order instantly for collection or delivery,” Mudzingwa said. “It’s a good start, and I hope online shopping improves in all retail outlets back home.”

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Mudzingwa’s experience is mirrored throughout Zimbabwe, where fears of contracting the coronavirus have forced long-resistant shoppers to embrace online shopping, a trend that could ultimately reshape the retail industry in this southern African country.

The shift comes as Zimbabwe continues to battle the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

More than 3,000 people have died from the disease in a country that borders South Africa, which has the highest number of cases on the continent.

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Since the pandemic erupted in March 2020, Zimbabwe’s government has ordered two nationwide lockdowns, which closed businesses and schools, and kept Zimbabweans at home.

This March, the government partially lifted the latest lockdown. But it left many restrictions in place for businesses, requiring mandatory masks and hand sanitizer, physical distancing, and temperature checks.

As the pandemic has worn on, grocery stores and other retailers have more aggressively promoted online shopping, which Zimbabweans have historically shunned.

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Obstacles to online shopping include the high cost of internet data, a lack of digital infrastructure or weak connectivity in some regions, and security concerns, says economist Prosper Chitambara.

In March, Pick n Pay, a major supermarket chain, saw its Zimbabwe stores lose some $22 million (about US$260,000) to email hackers.

Online sales at OK Zimbabwe Limited, another supermarket chain, have jumped by 800 percent during the pandemic.

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Monthly website visitors grew to 30,000, said Patricia Gondo, the company’s financial services manager.

She said the company, which began selling groceries online in 2019, started the pandemic with a very small online customer base.

SPAR Zimbabwe, another prominent grocer, unveiled online shopping in 2018, but officials say it didn’t catch on until March 2020, when the government announced the country’s first case of Covid-19.

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Average monthly visits in 2020 were 127% higher than 2019, says Louise McAllister, marketing manager for SPAR Zimbabwe.

This year, she says, monthly visits are up 10% over 2020.

To combat Covid-19, both OK Zimbabwe’s and SPAR Zimbabwe’s delivery staff regularly use hand sanitizer, wear masks and submit to temperature checks.

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McAllister says that to maintain physical distancing, SPAR Zimbabwe’s staff delivers to a customer’s porch.

Flexible payment options also have made online shopping more popular.

Only an estimated 1.3% of Zimbabweans over age 15 use credit cards, but in recent years mobile money – paying for goods and services through a cellphone – has surged in popularity.

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Between 2016 and 2018, mobile money transactions leaped 445%, to more than 1.6 million, according to a report last year from FSD Africa, a financial sector development program funded by the United Kingdom.

A postal and telecommunications sector performance report found that in the first quarter of 2020, active mobile money subscriptions rose by 4.6% to reach more than seven million, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

Sydney Mangweka, a father of two whose wife works in a different city, says he started shopping online in April 2020.

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A film and music producer who also owns a small printing business, he mainly pays for electricity and buys internet data, groceries and takeout meals.

“Being the only parent at home, it is my duty to ensure the kids have all they need, but due to my busy schedule, I would at times fail to meet that obligation,” said Mangweka (38), who uses mobile money to pay for his goods.

“During the duration of the 2020 national lockdown, as I was working from home, I discovered that I could actually work and shop at the same time using online shopping.”

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He also likes the fact that if both he and his wife are traveling, he can still order groceries to be delivered at home.

Meanwhile, Mudzingwa (25), says retailers need to keep honing the online experience for customers.

“They have a long list of questions you go through when ordering, which puts me off ordering from those shops,” he said.

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Mudzingwa also says sometimes a supermarket doesn’t include basic grocery items among its online offerings, which means he has to hopscotch between online stores to buy everything he needs.

And sometimes he processes and pays for his order – only for it to be delayed.

Nonetheless, both Mudzingwa and Mangweka plan to keep shopping online after the pandemic ebbs.

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Chitambara, the economist, predicts that online shopping’s newfound traction will last, because it reduces the costs that come with in-person sales and lowers the price of goods and services.

“It enhances the long-term welfare and well-being of the economy,” he said. – Global Press Journal

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ZimParks salutes brave rangers on World Ranger Day

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

Today marks World Rangers Day, a commemoration of the critical work that rangers do in protecting the world’s wildlife and natural resources. The day is significant as it recognizes the bravery, dedication, and sacrifices made by rangers who often put their lives on the line to safeguard the environment and conservation efforts.

In commemoration of World Rangers Day, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has issued a statement. Below is the full statement:

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) joins the rest of the world in recognizing the work of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line in protection of wildlife.
It is also a day to remember those who have lost their lives in line of duty and some who are still missing to date.

This year’s theme, “Rangers,Powering
Transformative Conservation,” speaks to the important role Rangers play, not only as protectors of wildlife but also as leaders who bring change and help shape the future of conservation.

From patrolling wildlife protected areas and stopping poachers to working with local communities and educating the public, Rangers are at the heart of everything we do to look after our wildlife heritage for current and future generations.

Rangers work across vast landscapes and often spend weeks in the bush facing dangerous conditions, tough weather, and limited resources but despite these challenges, they carry on with strength and dedication, knowing that their work makes a difference.

We believe that by investing in our Rangers, we are investing in the future of conservation in Zimbabwe.
As we mark this important day, we say thank you to all our Rangers. Your courage, passion, and commitment inspire us every day, you are the backbone of conservation, and we stand with you.

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Malaria cases surge in Zimbabwe

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe is experiencing a dramatic surge in malaria cases, with 111 998 cases and 310 deaths reported as of epidemiological week 23 in 2025.

This is a significant increase from the same period in 2024, which saw 29 031 cases and 49 deaths.

According to Dr Memory Mapfumo, an epidemiologist at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), “This surge is no coincidence. Prolonged rains have fueled mosquito breeding, while activities like gold panning, fishing, and artisanal mining are exposing more individuals to risk, especially during peak mosquito activity hours.”

The situation is worsened by the low use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), leaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems. Across Zimbabwe, 115 out of 1 705 health facilities have been affected, highlighting the widespread impact of the disease on healthcare infrastructure.

Mashonaland Central Province has accounted for 32% of all malaria cases, while Manicaland reported 25% of the malaria-related deaths. The interconnectedness of the countries in the region has also contributed to the spread of the disease.

Zimbabwe’s malaria outbreak is part of a broader regional trend. Other countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, eSwatini, and Namibia, are also experiencing significant increases in malaria cases.

In Botswana, 2 223 cases and 11 deaths have been reported, with Okavango being the hardest hit. eSwatini has recorded 187 cases, with children under 15 and farmers being particularly affected. Namibia has seen over 89 959 cases and 146 deaths, with the majority of cases being local transmissions.

The Africa CDC emphasizes the need for continued vigilance and investment in malaria control. Governments must enhance their efforts to improve the use of ITNs, strengthen community engagement, and address environmental and social factors driving the outbreaks.

Dr Merawi Aragaw, head of Africa CDC’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, notes that “as climate change accelerates, we are witnessing shifts in temperature and rainfall that are expanding the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, introducing vectors into previously unaffected regions.”

According to Dr Aragaw, “sustained vector control measures – including environmental management, strengthening surveillance, drug and diagnostic resistance monitoring, and fostering cross-border collaboration – will be critical in mitigating the growing threat of vector-borne diseases, especially malaria.”

The regional surge underscores a broader global trend, with malaria cases worldwide climbing to 263 million in 2023, up from 252 million the previous year, and Africa accounting for 95% of all malaria-related deaths.

Despite these alarming figures, there have been significant successes: Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free in 2023, and Egypt is poised to achieve the same in 2024. Yet for many countries in southern Africa, the road to elimination remains steep, with outbreaks threatening to reverse years of progress.

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Government unveils plan to curb road accidents

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, has outlined a series of measures to combat the rising tide of road traffic accidents in the country.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a worrying surge in road traffic accidents, with the latest incident claiming 17 lives last week, along Seke road.

Yesterday, Muswere addressed the cabinet, outlining measures to curb road traffic accidents. Below is his statement, word for word:

“So capacitation of the vehicle inspection is ongoing and the sourcing of the vehicle inspection department. Compliance to legislation is also one of the parameters that we are utilising.Standardisation in terms of driving schools, the training of drivers, speed limits as a governance to traffic monitoring, the utilisation of traffic management, the utilisation of cameras for number plate recognition and facial recognition in order to curb over speeding and traffic offences. The capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in order to apprehend and also deal with traffic offences. Legislation amendments that are taking place in order to ensure that our roads are safe. As the minister (Felix Mhona) has also highlighted that the Civil Protection Unit is being capacitated in order to deal with the challenges that we might not have been able to deal with as part of an architecture under the hall of government approach.”

Background statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police reveal a concerning trend. During the first six months of 2025, the country recorded 28 159 road traffic accidents, up from 25 968 in the same period last year. Fatal crashes also increased by 11% from 784 to 870, while road deaths rose by 4.9% from 1 037 to 1 088. The majority of accidents occur in known danger zones, often due to commuter congestion and erratic driving by public transport operators.

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