Econet rewards brand ambassadors in Matebeleland

ECONET Wireless Zimbabwe has taken its channel engagement drive to the country's southern region where it hosted an event to reward its top-performing brand ambassadors in Matabeleland provinces.

Yesterday, the country's largest telecommunications and technology company honoured its brand ambassadors from the region, which covers Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces, at a colourful function at a city hotel. Over 300 brand ambassadors from 14 districts, company senior executives led by its chief operating officer, Mr Fayaz King, attended the event and celebrated together.

Addressing the gathering, Mr King commended the brand ambassadors for their hard work and for representing Econet well to the customers in their districts and communities they serve.

"We are here to say 'Well done' for your sterling work in representing Econet to the customers, the end users of our products, who often only see you as the face of our business in the districts you come from," Mr King said.

"At Econet, we intentionally want to create employment by creating entrepreneurs who can go out there and employ others."

He stressed that Econet's goal was to empower its channel partners so that they in turn can empower others.

Econet recruits and trains its brand ambassadors and deploys them back into the market to promote and sell the company's brands and products in their communities and localities. The company has over 6 000 active brand ambassadors spread across the country, who form part of its over 40 000 distributors, dealers, agents and brand ambassadors countrywide.

At the event in Bulawayo, brand ambassadors from the southern region were recognised and honoured for their outstanding work, which has seen Econet maintain its market leadership position in the region.

The overall sales excellence award went to Ms Duduzile Nyathi, who walked away with a Green Kiosk worth $2 500, a pack of 200 SIM cards for sale, a satchel and an unspecified amount of prize money. A teary and overjoyed Ms Nyathi, who was visibly overcome by emotion, said the award would motivate her to work harder and do even better in the future.

"I am just so happy to be recognised by Econet for the work I have been doing. This award will only make me work harder," she said, urging her fellow brand ambassadors to work hard, as "only hard work" would cause them to realise their dreams.

Ms Nyathi led a long list of winners from as far afield as Mangwe District (Collen Siziba and Christian Kagande), Gwanda (Cossam Mkandla), Nkayi (Minenhle Zulu), Lupane (Gibson Mwinde) and Tsholotsho (Philani Mpofu) to name a few, who won prizes in several sales categories.

In his remarks, senior Econet executive Mr Leonard Bore paid tribute to the brand ambassadors for their diligence and hard work, saying Econet would notbe the company it is today without them.

"You are at the forefront of our retail business and you are the ones who make Econet the successful organisation that it is today", said Mr Bore, who attended the function along with Econet's media relations and communication executive Mr Fungai Mandiveyi, regional general manager for Mashonaland East province, Mrs Ivy Sithole, and the general manager for the Southern Region, Mr Sam Tichiwangana, who played host to the event. Econet, which is publicly listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, has invested millions of dollars in building its extensive sales and distribution channels across the country.

It has over the years invested over $2 billion in network infrastructure development and has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the country's economy through employment creation, tax contributions, levies and licence fees.