Author: Tinotenda

Categories
Android WhatsApp

Oops. Might have jumped to conclusions too soon regarding the GB issue

 So it turns out it might have just been my number which was getting that error message and I might have jumped to conclusions regarding the GB issue. Of course I misinterpreted the situation but at the same time there’s still hope for my dream to come true. I guess.

Last night I revisited my GB WhatsApp once again to check if I was still getting this error:

And unfortunately, I was still getting it. But then I decided to try it with a different number to see what I’d get and to my surprise, the app worked. Now all I can say is the end is now near but it isn’t exactly here. Wow, that rhymed😁. You can also check the previous article regarding WhatsApp mods: Is the death of WhatsApp mods finally here?

Categories
Android Apps WhatsApp

Is the death of WhatsApp mods finally here?

 

Seeing my greatest enemy go down has been my dream. WhatsApp mods(all wrapped up in the name GBWhatsApp) have been on my nerve since day one. Honestly speaking, I never liked those things at all. I think I speak for most when I say my dream was to see these WhatsApp mods go down one day. To my surprise, I think that day is coming soon.

The downfall of WhatsApp mods might just be near after what I witnessed today. Even though I hated the anti delete features and the hiding features a lot, unfortunately the GBWhatsApp was also an essential for me. Funny coincidence. It’s more like my wish for the downfall of mods is the same as praying for my own disadvantage. Till date, I’ve been using the GBWhatsApp on my spare line for sending links in multiple groups(up to 70) at the same time. This was the main reason I had the app on my phone till now but lately I was banned. This wasn’t nothing new to me as I’ve been banned on this number multiple times and the fact that it’s a second number, it doesn’t really hurt me to be banned. But after my number was approved, I wanted to login to the app, so that I would send my new article’s link to my groups as usual and that’s when I got this message.

Initially I thought it would happen for this login trial only so I installed a WhatsApp clone through the dual app option in the phone settings and logged into my WhatsApp with the clone. After this, I went back to my GB to login to my number and still got the same message. Tried clearing data and uninstalling and reinstalling the app but it was of now use.

 This event made me both elated and disappointed at the same time as it gave me assurance that this is likely going to happen to most WhatsApp mod users but I also lost my ability to send a message to 70 groups once. But anyways it’s a win win if this happens to everyone else. If you’re or you were using a WhatsApp mod, share your current experience with the app through the comment section. 

Categories
eCommerce Web hosting Websites Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Marketplace Series: Tengesai.com

 

Web hosting giant ZimHero brings us Tengesai.com which is going to be our talk for day 2. 

What is Tengesai?

Tengesai is a classifieds platform developed by ZimHero, a popular web hosting platform. Tengesai was launched not long ago but has rapidly grown because of the influence of it’s parent company, ZimHero. We now see Tengesai being a part of the major classifieds and marketplace platforms in Zimbabwe and this is all thanks to ZimHero.

Design

The first thing I’m commenting on is the design. The Tengesai.com design is quite impressive and stands out amongst other marketplace websites here in Zimbabwe. They have a theme colour, a pale shade of green which is very beautiful and unique. Their combination of colours is the most impressive feature of their design, and this site’s design completely overwhelmed me as I was comparing it to others. In terms of mobile usability the site’s great and it’s also responsive, which is also great. We have screenshots taken on both mobile and desktop below.

Desktop version

Notable features

It’s really easy to create an account on Tengesai and it’s also easy to login. No hassle at all. The site also has a limit for listings which I failed to comprehend though. Their banner read:

An account limit has been introduced where you can have up to 5 ads live at any moment. If you need more, you can become premium member to unlock further benefits. To read more about it please visit our FAQ page or contact us. You have currently active 1 listings out of your limit 50 listings (published in 0 days).

 I couldn’t get what they were trying to say here. As the pop-up reads, users can have up to 5 ads live at any moment and then there’s me who currently has 1 active listing out of 50. 

Sellers can also promote their listings, which brings us back to the Pindula concept. One has to pay to be on the front page and also to be featured in WhatsApp groups. 

Tengesai WhatsApp groups

In Tengesai’s case though, you get a badge on your listing and this badge shows that the listing is being promoted. You also get a front page feature on their sponsored section and throughout the website. 

These are the four categories for listing promotion on Tengesai. 

Another notable feature on the Tengesai website is the messaging option as buyers have a chance to chat with sellers in a built-in chat option on the site. Below is a screenshot of my seller profile.

In this screenshot, the chat option is unavailable because it’s my profile and I’m logged into the site so I cannot chat with myself.

Google Pagespeed Insights

It’s now a part of my tradition to feature the Google Pagespeed Insights in every website I review so that I can compare my point of view to that of Google’s. (not literally though)

Here they are. The legendary, extremely long screenshots of the Google Pagespeed page. To clearly see the stats click on the images to view them in full screen mode. 

Content

In this section I don’t have much to say, I might even end up contradicting myself if I talk much. I already mentioned that Tengesai is now one of the biggest classifieds platforms in the country, so I don’t see the need for me to add anything else to that statement.

Conclusion

This is a wonderful ZimHero venture, bravo to the developers. I really liked my experience on the site and loved it’s great UI and colour combinations. It is also reliable in terms of product and service promotion so I positively recommend it.

Categories
TV Zimbabwe

Disney series features Zimbabwean episode
Meet Kizazi Moto, the new Disney animated series which features an episode dedicated to Zimbabwe. For someone who hasn’t watched the series yet, I don’t have much to say but this is all I can tell you. This animated anthology brings together a new wave of animation stars to take you on a wildly entertaining ride into Africa’s future. Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, these action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives. (series storyline). 
Now the 6th episode of the series is the one we’re concerned about. The episode is titled Mukudzei and it is about a Zimbabwean influencer named Mukudzei. The storyline reads ‘After defacing a sacred monument, an influencer is flung into utopian future Zimbabwe.’ And once again, for someone who hasn’t watched it yet, I don’t have much to say. All I can say for now is for you to check out the series on Disney.
Categories
Apps eCommerce Websites

Zimbabwean Marketplace Series: Pindula Marketplace

 

The Pindula Marketplace, which is a part of the famous Pindula Group. The Pindula website itself is stocked with a variety of options, they have a news page, a job board, a marketplace and much much more. We just can’t list all that’s available on the Pindula website. 

Design

In terms of design, Pindula killed it. Their website is very responsive and has an easy to use interface. They also upgraded to a modern design a while back although their old one was not bad at all, it was just simple.  The site is also very fast even on slow networks. Here’s the Google Pagespeed test:

 

To see the detailed information, click on the image and zoom in. Below are both desktop and mobile screenshots of the marketplace.

Content

In terms of content. The Pindula Marketplace is stocked with a lot of products and services by multiple shops. Some of the shops are unverified and some are. It’s easy for shops and individuals to upload their services and products on the Pindula Marketplace and they also have a sale feature which you can use to put your products on sale. The feature has a period of sale which you chose for you listing to be on sale for. Let’s go to the verification process.

Verification process

To be verified on the Pindula Marketplace, all you need to do is to upload a picture of you ID card and also a picture of you holding the card. Below are images of the verification process.

Promoted Products

You can also boost your views but promoting your products on Pindula. One view currently costs $50 which means for $5000 you get 100 views on all Pindula platforms and also the TechZim site. For an additional $50 000 RTGS your listing will get posted on all Pindula WhatsApp groups for a day. See for yourself.

Conclusion

It’s a 10. The Pindula Marketplace works quite well for me and I noticed no bugs. They’re also a well known website which means your products and services will reach most parts of Zimbabwe.

Categories
Apps eCommerce Websites

Zimbabwean Marketplace Series: Introduction

 

So I once wrote an article, E-commerce in Zimbabwe: The top 5. This article was only limited to 5 marketplace websites and didn’t give much information on those 5 websites. Because of this I’m conducting a long term review session for these E-commerce platforms. Each day there’s going to be a new marketplace to review for the next 20 days for me. In addition to that I’ll be updating this post everyday, inserting links of the review posts each one by one in their chronological order. So if you have a marketplace you want me to review, feel free to contact me through the contract form on this site. 

List of E-commerce platforms reviewed

  1. Pindula Marketplace
  2. Tengesai
  3. Idhiri
  4. Ownai
  5. Classifieds
Categories
E-creator eCommerce

E-creator diaries: Jiatong caught

We now witness an interesting twist as the E-creator founder who was claimed to have fled with a million dollars gets caught by the ZRP. A week ago, E-creator posted the following statement informing it’s employees what had happened to their money.

After this the company shut down and took down all of it’s online platforms. I for one didn’t believe this story thinking that it was just a method of going away with everyone’s money. Many thought the same, I reckon. However there has been a sudden twist a week later as Zhao Jiatong is arrested by the ZRP. The police statement read:

With that said, what we can all do now is to just wait patiently and see if the guy has the money or not.

Categories
Apps eCommerce Websites Zimbabwe

E-Commerce in Zimbabwe: The Top 5

Online marketplaces have made their impact all across the nation as most who want to sell their products or services run to them. These stores are the best platforms to get your products or services to the whole of Zimbabwe for a very cheap price or even for free. In this article I’m going to list(ungraded) the top 5 marketplaces in ZImbabwe based on my personal touch. 

Facebook Marketplace

This one is not just unique to ZImbabwe only but since we also utilize it here in ZImbabwe, there was no harm in me listing it. 
The Facebook Marketplace only sells products and not services, which it’s greatest weakness but is also a great tool for those selling physical products. It’s greatest pro is that most prospective buyers are already on Facebook which means that the moment they look for something on Facebook they’ll see the seller’s add which increases the seller’s outreach. You can visit the Facebook Marketplace by clicking the Marketplace icon in your app or browser page. If you do not already own a Facebook account, you can sign up on facebook.com.

Pindula Marketplace

Pindula, which is a widely used online platform in Zimbabwe has a wide range of tools they have for you. The most notable features of their site are their blog, marketplace and job board, although they have other sections. The talk of the day, the marketplace is one of the most used marketplaces in the country which is mostly because of Pindula’s widely known name and also their zero-rated site. Yes, the Pindula site can be accessed without an internet connection which gives them an advantage over other marketplaces. The Pindula marketplace has various built-in categories of products and services and they also have a spotlight feature which places an ad for your product or service on most of their pages and also on the TechZim website. You can also get advertised in their fleet of whatsapp groups for a larger amount. One notable feature of the Pindula marketplace is the verified profile option as a seller is verified upon uploading their ID card and also their picture holding it. Click this link to be redirected to the Pindula marketplace page.

Tisitano

I’m sure you’ve come across their ad on platforms running google ads. This was the major reason that made me check it out. Tisitano is an app available on the Google Play Store, I’m not sure about the Apple App Store though. Tisitano supports both products and services and also offers an option for one to create a shop account which is separate from their original account just like the Pindula marketplace(my bad for forgetting to mention this in the Pindula section). This means that I can create a Tisitano account in my name Tinotenda and then create a shop and possibly name it Oliya Carpets. Tisitano also has a point service with which one can top up their account with points for them to be featured on the Tisitano front page. Apart from this everything else is free. You can download the app on the Google Play Store through this link.

Classifieds

These guys have been available for a long time for now. I can’t even remember when was the last time I began to know of this site but it was long ago. Classifieds might probably be the largest marketplace we have here in Zimbabwe. Their interface is very user friendly and so are those of the sites listed above. They also have a wide selection of categories for your products and services. Classifieds also has a featured ad service which is accessible after paying a small amount. Follow this link to access their site. 

Zimpoint

I just couldn’t go without mentioning this impressive emerging platform. ZimPoint is an online market which just joined the community but is already chilling with the big boys. The have both an app and a web interface which they’re constantly updating. The platform also has a WhatsApp group which is open to all members on weekends only for them to post their ads there. You can access their site using this link and download their app using the following button. 

Get it on Google Play

Categories
Apps eCommerce Websites

E-creator shuts down all thanks to Jiatong

 

The sudden shut down of the prominent e-commerce platform E-creator takes the whole of Zimbabwe by storm as many people lose hundreds of United States dollars through the Ponzi scheme. E-creator Zimbabwe rose to fame in March this year as the company was believed to be an easy way to earn money. 

On some point of view, it was but all this was too good to be true. As you might have heard, E-creator had multiple tiers for its employees and each tier had it’s minimum amount of money to be kept in the employees account for them to remain in that tier. In other words, one had to deposit $100 – $500 into their account for them to be in the VIP2 tier and this means that if you withdrew some of your money and was left with $99 you would go back to the VIP1 tier with less commission. So it meant that the more money you have in your account, the more you will earn through commissions. This was E-creator’s best move as people didn’t want to withdraw their investments for their money to grow even more and this led to vast loses for many. I for one wasn’t an E-creator employee and honestly speaking, even though I doubted E-creator’s legitimacy since day one, I almost joined the platform one day but stumbled upon an article by Techzim titled ‘E-creator – this criminal enterprise is running a scam, stay away‘ and so I stayed away.

The Zhao Jiatong story

Everyone in Zimbabwe has probably heard this name by now. Yes, Zhao Jiatong is the E-creator ‘founder’ who allegedly took all of E-creators’ employees’ money. Personally I don’t believe this Jiatong story. As of now, his name was never mentioned by the E-creator team and no-one knew anything about his existence until the point when E-creator issued the following statement.

How can a person deposit 1 million USD into his EcoCash account? This was the first question that came into my mind. I also received answers that my doubts were correct when I read the following article by Techzim:

If we consider the EcoCash story they are spinning, we are left scratching our heads. See, there are transaction limits when using EcoCash USD wallets. One can only send or withdraw a maximum of $500 per transaction and one can only have four such transactions per month. So, you cannot withdraw more than $2,000 per month.
The statement above says Zhao sent ‘company funds’ to his personal EcoCash account and then proceeded to withdraw it. Well, he could not withdraw more than $2,000 a month and so he would have needed over 41 years to withdraw a million dollars.
The statement says he also sent money to EcoCash agents so that they could withdraw on his behalf. The EcoCash transaction limits we talked about affect transfers too. You cannot send more than $2,000 a month.
You know what’s even crazier, you cannot hold more than $20,000 in your EcoCash wallet. This may change in the future but currently, you cannot. So, how could Zhao embezzle a million using EcoCash when it can’t? It’s all a web of lies coming from E-creator.

As it was clearly stated, you need over 41 years to withdraw 1 million dollars. So how did Zhao manage to do it in a few days. E-creator is yet to answer.  

Categories
Education eLearning WhatsApp

Can EduZone be the one that fills in the gap left by other ELearning softwares?

Source: EduZone

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 era in 2019 eLearning has boosted it’s outreach worldwide promoting more learning opportunities for students. Many softwares have sort of ‘replaced’ our traditional ways of learning and with the introduction of ChatGPT this has gotten better. Yes, it’s good for learners as it provides a wide range of information but this learning method doesn’t cover all the necessities particularly in our country. Those online learning platforms, bots and ChatGPT handles only provide the learning material which is good. But particularly for Zimbabwe, there are no past exam papers available on the internet. If you’ve looked for them you’ll understand where I’m coming from. This is where EduZone chips in. Eduzone is a WhatsApp bot specially made for online education for both primary and secondary education and it is 100% free, that too being available for all stages within the grade 1 – form 6 levels.

EduZone offers notes, question papers and marking schemes for Grade 7, O Level and A level students which are part of all these stages’ syllabuses. The bot also has a smart interaction system as users have to make their entries using links to their categories. This is where EduZone beats all the other eLearning platforms in Zimbabwe. As stated above, it has past exam papers and also their marking schemes and that’s basically every exam class student wants. And as we all know nothing is good completely, EduZone has got one flaw. The bot doesn’t have learning material for some levels. In my trial I discovered that there is no learning material for grades below grade 7 and also no learning material for O Level Computer Science and Biology.

Bot link

Conclusion

EduZone is a really useful tool particularly for the exam classes. All they need to do is to add content to the subjects that have no learning materials.