HARARE – Zimbabwe’s power utility ZESA Holdings has moved to clarify ongoing challenges affecting electricity purchases, following widespread disruption to its prepaid vending system.
Through its distribution arm, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company, the utility confirmed that a system outage has knocked out multiple digital purchasing channels, leaving thousands of consumers unable to buy electricity tokens online.
In a public notice seen by ZiGoats.com, ZETDC acknowledged the disruption and issued an apology to customers:
“The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) sincerely apologises to its valued customers for the current system outage affecting the prepaid vending platform.”
The outage has affected all third-party platforms, including mobile money services, banking applications, supermarket point-of-sale systems, and other online channels. This has effectively cut off the most widely used and convenient methods of buying electricity in Zimbabwe. The utility said:
“Please be advised that all third-party vending platforms including mobile money platforms, banking apps, supermarket Point of Sale systems, and all online channels are currently unavailable for token purchases.”
As a temporary workaround, ZESA has advised customers to physically visit ZETDC banking halls to purchase tokens, a move that has raised concerns about accessibility, especially for urban commuters and rural users who rely heavily on digital platforms.
While the utility says technical teams are “working tirelessly” to restore services, no clear timeline has been provided, leaving consumers in uncertainty.
The incident highlights the growing dependence on digital infrastructure in Zimbabwe’s energy sector, and the risks that system outages pose to service delivery, particularly in a prepaid electricity market where real-time access is critical.
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