A vendor Believe Kativho (in yellow golf shirt) sells mazhanje using a Point of Sale machine along Borrowdale Road in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Tariro Kamangira)
Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent—
ZIMBABWEANS are fast embracing plastic money, with some fruit and vegetable vendors now using point of sale machines to beat the cash crisis. Among them is Mr Believe Kativho, who sales mazhanje and green mealies along Borrowdale Road in Harare.“I have been in this business for quite a long time.
“Of late I have had problems with customers who use plastic money because they do not have cash. They would leave without buying anything on realising I only accepted cash. I had to source the point of sale machine to make their transactions easier,” said Mr Kativho.
He said it was easy to acquire a point-of-sale machine.
“On first deliberations (with two banks), we were told that hiring the swipe machine would cost $15 per day, but after negotiating with them, we were offered the machine at $50 per month, which to us is very reasonable.”
He said sales were impressive ever since he hired the machine.
“Our general sales have greatly improved because of using the swipe machine.
“I have nothing to lose as I also use plastic money to buy fuel and food,” said Mr Kativho.
“I have since noticed that using the point of sale machine has become a crowd puller as very few people these days move around with hard cash.
“I have also noticed that with swiping, customers barely negotiate prices. They just buy and in turn I make profits.”