Harare goes digital: Pay for water with your phone

Itai Mazire

The days of surprise water bills and midnight debt collectors are officially numbered. Harare City Council has launched a digital mobile payment platform for prepaid water tokens, allowing residents to top up their meters instantly using their mobile phones and never stand in a queue again.

The new system, rolled out in partnership with Helcraw Water under a public-private partnership arrangement, allows residents to purchase water credits through mobile money platforms including EcoCash, OneMoney, and Telecash, with tokens delivered instantly via SMS.

The smart prepaid meters display remaining balances in real time and send alerts when water is running low.

Users can track their daily consumption and choose to conserve usage during tight months, exactly like topping up phone airtime.

Harare City Council in a statement said, “The smart prepaid water meters are designed to empower residents. You purchase water credits in advance, just like with electricity. This eliminates estimated bills and puts you in control, no more surprise disconnections by the city. If your credit runs out, you can top up instantly using mobile platforms like OneMoney, EcoCash, or Telecash, right from your home.”

More than 26,000 prepaid smart water meters have already been installed across the capital, with suburbs including Warren Park, Westlea, Mabelreign, Belvedere, Ashdown Park, Avondale West, Greencroft, Sunridge, and New Marimba already live on the system.

The rollout forms part of a broader modernisation drive that has also seen nearly 5 000 kilometres of old asbestos pipes replaced with modern PVC, significantly reducing leakages that previously saw Harare lose an estimated 60 percent of treated water before it reached consumers.

Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume hailed the breakthrough saying, “This is the best solution for Harare residents that we have come up with in a PPP arrangement, and we have now installed more than 25 000 meters around Harare.

The response has been positive so far, despite some resistance earlier due to lack of education awareness, but we are happy that many have understood the scope of the project, which shows how Government is moving to improve service delivery.”

The city has set ambitious targets of 100,000 meters by the end of 2026, with a long-term goal of covering over 300 000 households.

The council continues to install smart water meters and replace old pipes, with current work underway at Aspindale Park.

Helcraw Water has since replaced old asbestos pipes, which created some leaks due to damaged pipes and have also installed smart water meters, which have been embraced by the ratepayers.

Residents have welcomed the end of estimated billing.

“We are happy with the prepaid water meters as they will make residents responsible at the same time people will receive what they would have paid for, thus reducing estimates which most residents did not agree with,” said Mrs Sharon Mbewe, a Westlea resident.

Elvis Mukawa of Warren Park D added, “I am delighted by the fact that as residents we will only get water that we paid for, which means there are no fears of being overcharged.”

However, some residents have raised concerns about potential self-disconnection for vulnerable households unable to pay.

Helcraw has since in the past said it recognises water as a constitutional right.

“The prepaid system is about responsible use and shared accountability. We are working with the City of Harare to ensure that no one is unfairly cut off, and that support mechanisms are in place for those in need.

We are also working to ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind, and the first five cubic metres are charged at the lowest rate to promote affordability.”

The City of Harare said in an official update: “Water meters will ultimately result in more water for residents as people will only be able to pay for what they use. This means we save water to distribute to areas with shortages. The smart water meters have proved popular with residents.”

The prepaid system is also being adopted in other cities and towns, including Karoi, Hwange, Guruve and Gokwe, where it is improving billing efficiency while supporting the delivery of clean and safe water.

Infrastructure upgrades, including pipe replacements and rehabilitation of the Morton Jaffray Water Works, are being implemented alongside meter installations to ensure a reliable supply for paying consumers.