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Telecel’s Norton Katanga Franchise shop1

Telecel Zimbabwe said yesterday it had doubled its number of kiosks to 200 since July as it seeks to improve its market share. The kiosk business, which has been adopted by all the country’s three mobile phone operators, has been lauded for creating employment for thousands of people as well as deepening the reach of the networks.

Telecel is the country’s smallest mobile phone network provider by subscriber base, with an estimated 4,4 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2015 and enjoys a 17.5 share of the mobile market.

“Telecel’s retail presence initiative which we launched in early July this year with the deployment of franchise shops and kiosks is on course and to date we have more than doubled the number of kiosks to a total of 200 kiosks,” said Telecel’s chief commercial officer Nkosinathi Ncube.

“This is in line with its firm long-term plans to compete much more aggressively in this market and confirms the push to continue increasing convenience and accessibility of its products and services to customers to make their life easier.”

He said the firm would roll out more kiosks as well as franshise shops in the next few months.

Currently, Telecel has 24 corporate shops and 12 franchise shops countrywide.

“Entrepreneurship has become even more important than ever before because our current economic environment is characterised by a shrinking formal job market,” Mr Ncube said.

“These kiosks will help create jobs and provide income streams which are needed to improve people’s lives.

“Telecel views these kiosks as income and job creation opportunities.” — New Ziana