NetOne’s mobile financial services platform, OneMoney says it is driving financial inclusion, creating employment opportunities and simplifying money transfers through an extensive distribution network that reaches communities across Zimbabwe.
The mobile money platform has partnered with six banks AFC Commercial Bank, POSB, NBS Bank, BancABC, FBC Bank and Crown Bankto introduce seamless Bank-to-Wallet and Wallet-to-Bank services aimed at bringing formal financial services closer to ordinary Zimbabweans.
At the heart of the initiative is an expansive network of bank branches, agents, Point-of-Sale (POS) machines and NetOne retail outlets that allows customers to access financial services without travelling long distances.
According to the company, POSB operates 45 branches across the country while AFC Commercial Bank has a further 34 branches many of them located in growth points and rural communities.
Combined, the two institutions provide 79 physical service points supporting OneMoney’s digital ecosystem.
In addition, NBS Bank and POSB offer branch-based account linking services allowing customers without smartphones or internet access to join the platform.
OneMoney has also deployed hundreds of POS machines at retail outlets and service providers nationwide enabling customers to make payments directly from their mobile wallets.
The company says its services have also been extended through NetOne shops in nearly every district where customers can make cash deposits, pay school fees and access selected banking services.
The result, according to OneMoney is a broad distribution network that serves both urban and rural communities.
A customer in Harare’s central business district can make payments through a supermarket POS machine while a family in rural Chipinge can access services at a nearby bank branch or NetOne shop.
The expansion has also created employment opportunities through agency banking.
Every participating branch requires additional staff to support OneMoney transactions while agents earn commissions from services such as cash deposits, withdrawals, bill payments and money transfers.
With agent interoperability now operational, POSB and AFC agents can provide OneMoney services while OneMoney agents can facilitate transactions linked to the two banks.
The company says the arrangement has effectively increased the number of service points and created thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
“This initiative is not just about transactions—it’s about empowering communities. Every branch we connect, every agent we onboard, is a local job creator. Our intense distribution network ensures that no Zimbabwean walks more than a few kilometres to access formal financial services, while also earning a living by offering those services,” said OneMoney Head of Sales and Marketing, Tracy Madziwa.
The company says the platform has significantly improved the ease of doing business for small enterprises, informal traders and farmers.
A vegetable vendor, for example can receive payments directly into a OneMoney wallet from customers using POSB or AFC POS machines while cross-border traders can move money between bank accounts and mobile wallets without carrying cash.
Parents can also pay school fees from their phones and families in remote areas can receive remittances without travelling long distances to access banking services.
NetOne Financial Services General Manager and Acting Chief Commercial Officer Joseph Machiva said the initiative was aimed at making financial services accessible to everyone.
“Our mission is clear: financial inclusion for all. By combining the credibility of banks with the agility of mobile money and backing it with 79 bank branches, hundreds of agents and NetOne’s own retail footprint we are removing traditional barriers to banking. And as this ecosystem grows, so do opportunities for employment,” he said.
The company says the integration also makes transfers between banks and mobile wallets almost instantaneous.
A customer with an FBC or Crown Bank account can fund a OneMoney wallet using a banking application and send money to relatives in rural areas who can then withdraw funds from a nearby branch, agent or NetOne shop.
NetOne Financial Services Head of Operations Edmore Makanha said the initiative had eliminated many of the challenges traditionally associated with accessing financial services.
“With Bank-to-Wallet and our dense distribution channels, customers no longer need to queue at banking halls or travel long distances. They can fund wallets instantly from home and withdraw or deposit cash at a point within walking distance. That ease of doing business—whether for a parent, a farmer, or a small retailer is what drives real economic participation,” he said.
The company has also introduced a float rebalancing framework with POSB and AFC acting as Super Agents to ensure service points remain adequately funded, particularly in busy rural markets.
As adoption of the platform grows, OneMoney says it plans to onboard additional banking partners and further expand its agent network, deepening financial inclusion and supporting economic participation in both the formal and informal sectors.
