Telecel continues to sponsor HIFA main stage

Telecel is this year once again sponsoring the main stage at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), making it the fifth year in succession that it has sponsored the stage at the annual festival.

This year's sponsorship is worth more than $57 000, an indication of the value the company places on the country's arts and culture.

In addition to sponsorship of the main stage at HIFA, Telecel is also sponsoring a mobile app for Android and IOS users to view the HIFA programme of events, including date and show times as well as venues for shows.

The app also allows people to read profiles of performing artistes as well as read and submit reviews for shows. It is available for all networks and is free.

In view of the large number of people who always attend the festival, there will be a mobile Telecel base station there to avoid congestion and ensure Telecel subscribers have the best quality connection when they communicate throughout the festival.

The focus of Telecel's main stage sponsorship this year is telecash and Telecel Go, both of which were introduced recently.

Registration for telecash will be possible at the Telecel stand opposite the main stage or with telecash ambassadors, who will be visible at the various Hifa venues. Moreover vendors at Hifa will all accept payment through telecash.

Telecash is an electronic wallet service that allows registered subscribers to use their mobile phones to send money to anyone with a mobile phone, regardless of network, receive money, pay bills, buy airtime and pay for groceries and other goods and services at any outlet displaying the telecash logo, whether it be a shop, post office or other outlet.

Telecash subscribers can send money to anyone with a mobile phone, whether the person is a registered telecash subscriber, a Telecel subscriber who is not registered for telecash or the subscriber of any other mobile phone network.

Telecel subscribers can register for telecash at any Telecel office or with telecash agents or telecash ambassadors, who will be found at the festival and at other times roaming around the streets.

All that is needed to register is one's identity card and a photocopy of it and to complete a telecash application form.

There is no minimum balance required and there are no monthly charges. Telecash transaction costs are competitive and affordable.  

Telecel Go is Telecel's new pre-paid platform, which offers subscribers the opportunity to opt for a cheap rate tariff that suits them. There are two new tariffs, Go Juic'r, which is 15 cents per minute for voice calls at any time of the day, and Go Flexi, where the tariff for voice calls is 11 cents per minute between 6am and 4pm, 19 cents per minute between 4pm and 10pm, and nine cents per minute between 10pm and 6am. Calls are charged at these rates per second.

 "We believe our focus on telecash and Telecel Go for our sponsorship of the Telecel  Main Stage is appropriate for this year's festival theme, which is ‘switch on'.

"As those attending get switched onto HIFA, we are also asking them to switch on to simplicity and affordability via telecash and Telecel Go," said Telecel Zimbabwe communications and branding director Obert Mandimika.

"To us at Telecel, sponsoring the main stage is setting the stage for both local and international artists to showcase their talent in arts and culture.

 "The exposure and exchange of ideas and knowledge between our own artists and the international artists also does our own talent good," he said.