Published: 15 May 2025

Financial services provider ZB Financial Holdings (ZBFH) has unveiled two new digital platforms, Smile Cash and Smile&Pay, in a move aimed at deepening financial inclusion and modernising Zimbabwe's payment landscape.

Launched in Harare on Wednesday, the twin digital offering features Smile Cash, a mobile wallet that allows users to access banking, insurance, and investment services via a smartphone app or USSD code. Its counterpart, Smile&Pay, is an integrated payment gateway designed to simplify online payments and support e-commerce growth in the country.

"We are thrilled to introduce Smile Cash, a digital wallet platform that allows you to transact via your mobile whether app or USSD," said ZBFH chief transformation officer Kangai Maukazuva during the launch event. "This is what I'm calling a twin digital solution in the payments industry. We have created a wallet, Smile Cash, and an integrated payment gateway, Smile&Pay."

Both platforms are fully integrated with Visa, Mastercard, SWIFT, and regional financial systems, enabling cross-border payments, real-time processing, and global accessibility. Maukazuva noted that Smile Cash offers users the ability to request payments from anyone, including those using other platforms like EcoCash or traditional bank cards - locally and internationally.

"With Smile Cash, you can request a payment from anyone, wherever they are - even if they don't have a wallet. As long as they have a card, they can pay you, whether in Zimbabwe or anywhere around the world," he said.

The platforms were developed in-house by ZB's own technology team, positioning them as cost-effective and homegrown alternatives to expensive foreign fintech solutions. According to Maukazuva, the goal was to design an affordable product tailored for the local market.

"We've studied what the market is offering in terms of wallets and gateways and realised we needed to develop something made in Zimbabwe. Most players are expensive because of licensing and tech costs, but we've developed this to be affordable," he explained.

ZBFH is also extending the Smile Cash platform through white-label partnerships, allowing businesses to launch their own branded digital wallets for their customers. The wallet supports multi-currency transactions, loyalty rewards, budgeting tools, and seamless integration with existing ZB Financial services.

"In terms of e-commerce, the payment gateways available are not good enough and are expensive. But now you can sell your products through Smile&Pay," Maukazuva added.

The launch marks a significant step in ZBFH's broader digital transformation agenda. The group announced that more innovations - including international acquiring products - are expected to roll out in the coming weeks, reinforcing its commitment to building a digitally inclusive financial ecosystem in Zimbabwe.
- the independent

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