Zimbabwe entrepreneurs have been pampered with an early Christmas present, dubbed ZIM411 Promotion, a Short Message Service (SMS) advertising platform that connects sellers and buyers courtesy of NetOne.
The telecommunications giant said the move to come up with the platform (Zim411) was necessitated by the need to service business people who are not on smart phones since many innovations that have been done are supported by smart phones via mobile applications.
“Entrepreneurs across all age groups, in the urban and rural areas have an opportunity to connect with vast markets. NetOne Zim411 is a simplified platform where one sends an SMS to 362 written, *PA* and their intended ad with key words that describe the product and service and contact details to sell their products and services. Ads placed will be on the system for a maximum of 30 days,” read the statement from NetOne.
The platform will also allow buyers to locate products in the convenience of their homes or offices by typing messages to 362 with keywords for their searches. They have an option to view pictures and set reminders for products and services that their interested in.
“This brings added convenience especially given the erratic fuel availability situation currently obtaining in our country. NetOne’s Zim411 has a fuel alert function to ensure one does not get stuck as it allows someone to access information on fuel stations that actually have fuel.
“With prices of goods and services increasing, NetOne innovative stance will enable Zimbabweans to save on transport cost and rentals when selling products or seeking services on the go through this affordable innovation,” further read the statement.
This comes as an addition to NetOne’s recently launched, Value Added services, Pick and Win and One-Roulette. Pick and Win is a USSD-based game where customers pick a number and stand a chance to win airtime prizes of varying amounts if they successfully pick the lucky number.
One-Roulette is also a USSD based game where players guess the winning number in order to win from a pool of money. The pool starts at $RTGS10 and 10 cents is added to the pool every time someone plays and fails to win.
Both USSD based games are accessed via short code *360# and they are daily prizes to be won.
