This is Digital Marketing News Zimbabwe, my weekly brief for marketers and business owners here. This week: a local influencer portal and what creators charge, Econet’s 3G switch-off date, and TikTok’s new voice comments.
The Phone in Your Customer’s Hand
For a few years now I have given my DMI graduates the same business idea, usually near the end of a course: build a portal where Zimbabwean businesses can find, compare and book local influencers.
This month I found out someone has built it. Blessing Mokoena is not one of my graduates, and I want to congratulate Blessing properly for doing what I only kept talking about.
It reminded me of something I should say more plainly in class. An idea is worth very little until somebody puts it in front of paying customers.
To my graduates reading this, the chance has not passed. A marketplace like this only works if businesses know how to brief a creator, agree a fair price and measure what the post actually delivered. That is the work you trained for, and very few people here do it well yet.
The rest of this brief is about the phone in your customer’s hand: a network switch-off with a date on it, and TikTok turning the comment box into a place for voice notes.
Econet Will Switch Off 3G by December 2027: What It Means for Your Marketing
Econet plans to switch off its 3G network by the end of December 2027. 2G will follow later, because many rural subscribers still rely on basic feature phones.
Econet says only a small share of its customers are still on 3G. The regulator’s own figures suggest 3G is still doing a lot of work. Econet runs 2,071 3G base stations against 1,951 for 4G, and it added 74 more 3G stations between December and March.
The wider picture matters more for marketers. Only 58.8% of Zimbabweans had 4G coverage in 2025. Internet use sits at 41.6%, against 81.6% for mobile phones. Until 4G reaches further, heavy video will keep missing a large part of the country.
Sources: Techzim and CITE, 10 September 2026; Ecofin Agency.
TikTok Voice Comments and Comment Polls: How Businesses Can Use Them
On 3 September TikTok announced four new comment features. Voice comments of up to 60 seconds are rolling out globally over the coming month, for account holders aged 18 and over. Creators can add a poll to the comments on their own videos, with up to five answers and a voting period they choose. Photo carousels in comments are rolling out too, and Live Photo comments are already live.
For a market that already runs on WhatsApp voice notes, this matters. A customer who would never type a review may happily record one. And a poll under your own video is FREE customer research: which flavour, which price, which delivery day.
Separately, TikTok’s updated Community Guidelines take effect on 24 September 2026. If TikTok is part of your marketing, check your account status in the app’s settings, and make sure promotional posts use TikTok’s content disclosure setting.
Sources: Dexerto, 3 September 2026; TikTok Community Guidelines.
BantuBuzz: What Zimbabwean Influencers Charge Per Post
BantuBuzz, a Zimbabwean platform founded by Blessing Mokoena, lets creators on TikTok, Instagram and X list their follower count, their niche and what they charge for a promo. Businesses browse, compare and work directly with the creator who fits.
Brand plans run from FREE to US$ 399, depending on how many campaigns, collaborations and team members you need. Creator plans run from FREE to US$ 19, with verified badges and priority search placement on the paid tiers. At the time of writing, Harare and Gweru creators listed on the site start at US$ 40 to US$ 80 a post.
Until now most businesses had no idea what a fair rate was until they asked. Now you can compare before you negotiate.
One caution: creators list their own follower numbers. Before paying, ask for screenshots of reach on their last few posts, and agree in writing what counts as delivered.
Sources: Techzim, August 2026; BantuBuzz.
Digital Marketing News Zimbabwe: Five Things to Do This Week
- Put your key message in the first three seconds of every video and in the caption, so it lands even when the video does not load.
- Test your website and forms on an older, cheaper phone using mobile data, not office Wi-Fi.
- Add one poll under a TikTok video you have already posted, asking a question you genuinely need answered.
- Check your TikTok account status and switch on the content disclosure setting for any promotional post.
- Before paying any influencer, ask for screenshots of reach on their last few posts and agree in writing what counts as delivered.
AI for Executives: Strategy Workshop in Harare
A three-hour workshop for CEOs and top management at SABRE Business World in Harare, 9.00 to 12.30. Executives leave with their own configured AI workspace, a governance framework for AI risk and a 90-day roadmap, plus a certificate and a FREE 30-minute follow-up session. Only 10 seats per session, US$ 300 excluding VAT. 10 of the 11 executives at the last session rated it 5 out of 5.
Sessions run on Thursday 24 September and Thursday 22 October 2026. Book your seat on WhatsApp: 0775 619 297.
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