Zain Zambia announced the launch of its prepaid roaming, a service that gives customers the ability to automatically make and receive voice calls and SMS using their local Zain number when they have travelled out of the country.
Pre-paid roaming is yet another first from Zain, the largest mobile phone company in Zambia, renowned for its innovative products within the mobile industry.
Zain is also the only mobile phone company to offer BlackBerry business communication solution to the Zambian customers.
Announcing the launch in Lusaka on Friday, Zain Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Mr. Chris Gabriel, said, “this is innovation that I believe will have a positive dent on Zambian commerce”.
“This is the first time any mobile phone company is introducing pre-paid roaming service to customers in Zambia”, Mr. Gabriel said.
Pre-paid roaming will enable all customers on the pre-paid platform of the Zain network to enjoy roaming so they can stay in touch with their family and friends back home whenever they travel out of the country for work or pleasure.
“To start with, we are launching this pre-paid service with roaming partners in South Africa and the United Kingdom,” he added. In South Africa customers will roam on Cell C while in the UK on Vodafone.
Zain has promised to sign up a lot more roaming partners in key countries where Zambians frequently fly to.
Until now, only post-paid clients have been able to use roaming on their home Zain numbers each time they travel abroad.
“Effective today, any one of our pre-paid customers can roam away from home on their local numbers each time they travel to any of the two destinations mentioned above, the list will keep on growing as we add more and more destinations,” Mr. Gabriel said.
Zain has introduced the pre-paid roaming service in response to the demands of its customers and convinced that it will add value to the business environment in the country.
This is also another bid from us to continuously strive towards ensuring that we contribute to efforts aimed at creating a conducive business environment that will make Zambia a more attractive investment place, the company said in a statement.
For as long as pre-paid customers have their phones credited with sufficient talk time, they will be able to use their local number to call back home and or receive calls from friends and family.
He said prepaid customers have luxury to still top up their phones while away using various options including Mobile Top Up, Me2U and even better still, someone can travel with physical Zain scratch cards and still be able to top up while abroad.
Corporate clients who are on the pre-paid platform have now got the privilege to enjoy roaming, which for a long time has been restricted to post-paid clients.
Zain believes that the Small to Medium Entrepreneur (SME) sector, which commands great growth potential, needs to be supported with the right business tools to realize its inherent potential that will eventually benefit the nation.
“I’m happy to advise that pre-paid roaming can be a very ideal business tool that can help unlock the business potential in the SME sector and speed up business transactions that could otherwise be delayed on account of communication limitations,” said Mr. Gabriel.
Iwe nga Tanzania mukaibikapo lisa?
East Africa as well. I am in Tanzania and its hell. My Zain phone is completely useless
Not so new a News. East African Zain customers amongst themselves has been roaming for a while now. Nomba pa Z’ed umonenena, mpaka fye RSA or UK! Charity begins at home. Nevertheless Congrats, Zain.
Never been a fan of Vodafon but will see.Vodafon seems to be the most expensive in the UK at the mo.Will have to compare the cost of roaming to that of using a calling card or skype first.
Big up Zain. Make sure you introduce new destinations soon. MTN where are you? Kano fye mahala mahala. I can’t use mahala in SA or UK can i? Guys, lets support Zain and see how far they take us.
not very good at all
Which company has more established telephone infrastructure, Zamtel or Zain?
Its Zamtel but it is managed by stupidy fool s who are not innovative..while Zain a privite company whose profit is not p roughed back in the national coffers has introduced this positive service to the clients.We don’t need to sell Zamtel we need competent people to run the company.Information technology is a vital part in todays development which needs innovative minds to steer.
Our leaders have just failed us.Why dont you stay away from State House if you have so much faith in these ‘private investors so that they can as well run whole the country instead.
Chi-Shikapwasha has already said ZAMTEL sell is final.
What is annoying Zambians are only IMPORTANT when you need our VOTE- SHAME ON GOVT OF ZAMBIA
This is just a marketing stunt. The service was there under celtel, but too expensive. One had to enable the service before living Zed by making a pre-payment of $1,000.00. I personnaly used it in 2005 in SA and Uganda. My employers then paid for it.
Zain is In Vain, ever since they took over from ZamTel, the service has gone from bad to worse, they should improve the service first before launching such big projects.
Zain is In Vain
Was this the company that bought Celtel or Zamtel, well one of the two.
Just incase there is a mistake i made.
@#9 Ba Honey: They bought celtel. Find out what Zain means in Jewish. You’ll laugh!
Lady Blue, please tel me what it means
# 10 Lady Blue
zain is an Arabic word that means beautiful
# 10 Lady Blue , Zain is Hebrew for “a dick” There is another source that says it means Dick.
Yeah, in Arabic it means beautiful, and it’s also a variant of the name ‘John’ … but the Jewish meaning is not so beautiful.
Where are all the men? I need to know if what Lady Blue told me about the meaning of Zain is true, Men or Boys,please confirm.
Lady Blue you have cracked my ribs, i can t stop smiling, you are a noty girl. You need to be spanked.
@15 Ba Honey: You found out, hey? It’s a beautiful meaning after all. LOL.
#16 Lady Blue, Why didnt you just tell me , instead of making me Googling it, Are you afraid of it such that you cant even type it?
Gee, I just found the Spanish meaning. It’s so baaad!
#16 Ba Honey: I’m not afraid of it, infact I love it. But saying it, on this blog, would not be like the Lady that I’m. (smiling)
#19 Lady Blue, dont be scared , that dick is their for a reason just like the arm, the eye and the nose, so just mention it . It is not as if you are doing anything wrong. it is not rude or un lady like, you know.
Teams:* Ghana vs Zambia
*Match Venue:* Matchroom Stadium, Leyton, London
*Time:* 19:30
*Tickets:* £20 Kids: £10
*Date:* Wednesday, 12 August 2009
*UKZAMBIANS can confirm that *Zambia will be Ghana’s opponents in a London friendly game leading up to the qualifying for the World Cup.
Ghana will play the Chipolopolo Boys (Zambia National Football Team) at the Matchroom Stadium (also called Brisbane Road), the grounds of English League One side, Leyton Orient on 12 August.
“We have now agreed to play Zambia in London,” Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi said.
World Cup International football friendly*
> If any one want to go and support the boys, please see the details above. Lets all show our boys somelove.
LT please.nothing to moderate.there are no insults it’s just a name.and more over your site is mostly for above 18s not so?
And all zain subscribers must be ready for another change in name.the ZAIN holding company based in kuwaiti is in a hurry to sell of their operations in Africa.and etisalat of dubai are in the forefront of buying it out.sooner or later kuchinja nakabili.