Econet partners City Parking

Zimbabwe’s leading telecommunications operator, Econet, has partnered with Harare City Council’s parking division, City Parking, in an innovation set to see motorists pay for parking space using EcoCash.

In light of the country’s cash shortages, most motorists have had their vehicles clamped and impounded in some cases parting with anything between $57 and $150 after failing to access cash to pay for parking space within the Harare Central Business District (CBD).

However, Econet chief executive Douglas Mboweni yesterday said clamping and impounding was now a thing of the past for EcoCash subscribers.

Mboweni said the development meant all City Parking marshals within the CBD now accepted EcoCash payments for car parking services using Econet’s tap n’ go device, Econet Ta!, as the firm moves to promote cashless transactions.

“We are humbled and thankful to City Parking for this deal that we have entered into. We realise the need to ensure that day-to-day micro-transactions are formalised as we move to the next level of the financial inclusion lifecycle.

“As part of promoting a cashless society in our country, we would like to bring to our customers the convenience, security, affordability and acceptability of mobile money payments to buy literally everything, from supermarkets, service stations, flea markets, fruit and vegetable informal markets,” he said.

As part of the mobile network’s innovations, all City Parking marshals are now equipped with EcoCash Ta! devices.

EcoCash general manager Natalie Jabangwe-Morris said motorists simply needed to get the Econet Ta! stickers to start transacting.

“There is no longer need for our customers to carry cash for car parking services. Instead of going through the process of dialling *151#, all City Parking marshals have also been equipped with EcoCash Ta! devices.

“EcoCash Ta! allows our customers to tap specially-coded stickers linked to their EcoCash wallets against City Parking marshals’ enabled micro point-of-sale devices. The value of the transaction will be automatically and instantly deducted from the customer’s EcoCash account,” she said.

Jabangwe-Morris said the payment process was efficient and fast with no pin required from customers when paying for goods and services of up to $3.

“To City Parking marshals and our customers alike, no more need to worry about security of carrying cash and looking for change as all their cash is safe in their devices and wallets respectively.”

City Parking holds the largest share of parking bays in Harare CBD, including Julius Nyerere, Samora Machel and Parklane Parkades. Daily News