Rusape Ecocash Users Cry Foul Over “Chakachaya” Promotion Outcome

Staff Reporter

Rusape – What began as weeks of excitement and anticipation ended in disappointment for many EcoCash users in Rusape, who say they felt “cheated and misled” after the conclusion of the much-publicized Ecocash Chakachaya promotion.

The promotion, run by Econet Wireless, was marketed as a points-based competition in which subscribers earned points every time they used the EcoCash mobile money platform. Users believed that the points they accumulated would increase their chances of winning big prizes in a final draw.

For weeks, EcoCash users in Rusape, from young entrepreneurs to market vendors, spent money and carried out transactions with high hopes of walking away with life-changing prizes. Econet sent regular SMS updates to subscribers, reminding them of the promotion and encouraging them to continue transacting in order to boost their chances.

But on the final day, the excitement quickly turned into frustration.

Instead of a transparent raffle-style draw, many subscribers who gathered in Rusape described the finale as nothing more than a roadshow, where prizes were handed out to those who answered questions from the presenters or danced on stage.

“It was not what we were promised,” said Tinashe Chiriga, one of the EcoCash users who had spent weeks participating in the campaign. “My points were close to 900. I thought the more points you had, the higher your chances of winning. But when I got there, they were just asking questions and giving prizes to those who danced. What about us who used EcoCash all this time? We feel robbed.”

An egg vendor, who identified herself only as Mai Chikomo, echoed the same disappointment. “I had almost 500 points. I really believed that maybe I could win something meaningful because I supported the promotion every week. But what I saw was just a roadshow. Those who got on stage are the only ones who got prizes. That is not fair.”

Several EcoCash users told this publication that Econet’s communication during the promotion led them to believe that points were central to the draw. “They kept telling us to keep transacting and to accumulate points. Naturally, we thought points were tickets for a raffle draw. But at the end of the day, it turned out to be about entertainment, not loyalty,” another subscriber said.

For many, the disappointment cuts deeper because EcoCash is Zimbabwe’s largest mobile money operator, with millions of subscribers relying on it for day-to-day transactions. The promotion had raised hopes not only for prizes but also for a sense of reward for customer loyalty.

Consumer rights advocates in Rusape say the incident highlights a growing frustration among Zimbabweans over how corporate promotions are handled. “Transparency is key,” one advocate noted. “If subscribers are told to accumulate points, then the mechanism of winning must be tied to those points. Otherwise, it becomes misleading marketing.”

Some customers have since called on Econet to publicly clarify how winners were selected, while others suggested that the company should consider compensating loyal users who accumulated high points but walked away empty-handed.

Adding to the disappointment, popular local artist Kelvin Kusikwenyu, better known as Killer T, arrived late at Vengere Market where hundreds had gathered for the Chakachaya promotion, eager to see him perform live on stage.

At the time of publishing, Econet Wireless had not yet issued a formal statement addressing the concerns raised by Rusape subscribers. However, messages seen by this publication confirm that the company did notify users of the final day of the Chakachaya promotion, urging them to keep using EcoCash to “increase their chances of winning.”

Whether this was a case of miscommunication or deliberate marketing, the fallout in Rusape has left a sour taste among subscribers who expected more from one of Zimbabwe’s biggest telecommunications companies.