Telecel opens 15 additional franchise shops

Telecel Zimbabwe has opened fifteen additional franchise stores in Zimbabwe as part of its retail footprint expansion initiative which is meant to meet growing customer service needs.

The mobile company has revealed that the retail expansion initiative, which begun last year with thirteen shops, has now added fifteen more shops across the country. Together with its own 24 shops, Telecel customers can now enjoy 52 fully fledged customer service centres spread across the whole country.

These franchises come in after Telecel started a similar project last year to increase its retail presence through the rolling out of kiosks countrywide. The kiosks are operated by selected local business partners in the communities they reside. Currently there are over 500 kiosks deployed countrywide. Telecel's franchise shops and the kiosks stock airtime, mobile accessories, and phones. The centres are also customer service centres providing telecash, SIM replacement and SIM registration services.

With these latest customer service centre additions, Telecel now offers more than 550 customer service points across the country to get closer to its customers and make their lives easier.

Telecel's Communications and Branding Director, Obert Mandimika, says the opening of additional franchise shops will help improve Telecel customers' experience through increased convenience. The retail expansion initiative is part of the mobile network's multi-channel customer experience strategy which was announced last year.

"Following the success, popularity and impact of the first batch of franchise shops we saw it fit to add more retail shops across the country particularly in areas that had little Telecel corporate retail presence," said Mr Mandimika.

The additional franchise shops will still be run in partnership with local entrepreneurs with the mobile network providing capital for stocking and branding the shops.

"These franchise shops represent a win-win scenario were both Telecel and local business partners from the communities in which we operate stand to benefit financially," said Mr. Mandimika.

The new franchise shops are in urban, rural and peri-urban areas and cover areas including Mbudzi Round-about, Budiriro and Mbare in Harare, Entumbane and Fife Street in Bulawayo, Birchenough, Murewa, Mutoko, Gweru, Hwange, Mvurwi, Chegutu, Kwekwe, Tsholotsho and Murombedzi.