Written by Access AdminMarch 16, 2021

Zim remittances surge as women remitters lead the pack

53% of people sending money with us are women

ACCESS FOREX 

As formal remittances into Zimbabwe surged 58 percent in 2020 to a record $1 billion, data from a local think tank has unveiled that women remitters are leading the pack. 

According to a United Nations Women (UN Women) survey, analyzing the relationship between gender and remittances, migrant women workers have been leading the pack in sending money back home to loved ones.  

The research showed that while women tended to rely more on in-person cash transfer services in the past, the tide had turned with migrant workers now preferring formal channels for security. 

“The research found that, while women typically earn less than men and pay more in transfer fees, the average remittance amounts they send are the same as or even greater than those of men, implying that they tend to remit a larger portion of their earnings than do men,” the UN Women paper said. 

In Zimbabwe’s case, the survey also highlighted that the emergence of new players in the remittance play like Access Forex, Senditoo, and the traditional ones like World Remit and Mukuru had made it easier for women remitters to send money back home. 

Access Forex’s spokesperson Shingai Koti said the increase in trust by women was not alarming as the remittances firm, which services the United Kingdom and South Africa corridors, and others had put in place measures to stimulate remittances from the previously marginalized. 

“On our books, women make up 50 percent of the remitters and this is a huge step especially as we commemorate International Women’s Day. 

“It shows that emancipation and financial inclusion is finally reaching the previously marginalized and as a business, we continue to promote this through our wide distribution network around Zimbabwe also allowing women to send money locally,” Koti said. 

Koti said the trend was anticipated to surge further in the future on the back of sectorial liberalisation efforts by the central bank and the company’s efforts to promote financial inclusion. 

“In South Africa alone, 52 percent of our books is made up of women. This is a pattern we intend to maintain in the future as we grow as a business. We want to ensure that all our customers find a secure way to send money back home,” the Access Forex spokesperson said.  

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s diaspora remittances increased by 58 percent to US$1 billion last year surpassing US$635,7 million realised in 2019. 

In 2020, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had projected that diaspora remittances would close the year at US$940 million. 

In his 2021 Monetary Policy Statement last month, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya attributed the improvement in Diaspora remittances to the liberalisation of the use of free funds in the country and improved channelling of remittances through formal channels. 

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Written by Access AdminOctober 30, 2020

Access Forex brings cheer to cancer patients

Access Forex brings cheer to cancer patients

HARARE – October 24, 2020 – REMITTANCES firm, Access Forex, last week gave out food hampers to cancer patients at Parirenyatwa Hospital’s Radiotherapy Centre as part of efforts to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A patient being treated for breast cancer, said she appreciated the gesture as it would take pressure off her finances.

“This could not have come at a better time. Social Welfare and well-wishers have been assisting us, but the financial strain remains. Such gestures help relieve financial pressure to create more space to cater for hospital bills,” she said.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Access Forex’s Business Development Manager Mildret Kujinga said the donation was from the company’s “Feed A Million” campaign which the company has set funds aside to give back to the community.

“We are overjoyed to be here today sharing this gift with you. This gift would not have been possible without our customers who transact with us here at home, in South Africa and in the United Kingdom. We really appreciate them. Please keep sending money so that we can give to the community,” she said.

Head of Public Relations at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals Linos Dhire said the Radiotherapy Centre needed new machines as the current ones are now antiquated.

“We really appreciate corporates who remember our patients. This gesture will go a long way. The main machine we have in the department was not working so this is costly to human lives at times,” Dhire said.

A local financial services firm has contributed US$200 000 for food relief efforts targeted at militating against the impact of the coronavirus.

In April, Access Forex gave out US$200 000 towards COVID-19 relief efforts with the funds drawn down from that the “Feed-A-Million” campaign currently underway.

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Written by Access AdminOctober 25, 2020

Zimbabwe’s financially excluded find a home

Zimbabwe’s financially excluded find a home

Previously marginalized informal players in Zimbabwe are finally feeling a glimmer of hope at the prospect of financial inclusion.

Small to Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) have expressed optimism that the exclusion gap could soon become a thing of the past as Access Forex, a local remittances firm, has placed its hands-on deck playing its part in driving the financial inclusion agenda.

This drive is aimed at achieving the United Nations’ global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, specifically SDG 8 and 10 which seek to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth while reducing inequalities.

Financial exclusion has been dominant in third world countries as self-sustained entrepreneurs in the informal sector have faced challenges around finding robust financial solutions without exclusionary checklists.

To worsen the already existing problem, the global pandemic, Covid-19, has plunged the world into an economic crisis that, unfortunately, did not spare the informal market that has traditionally relied on informal channels to transact.

Worryingly, the global scourge was worsened by an extensive carnage on the job market bleeding economic and social spheres.

Being in the remittances business, Access Forex strives to identify with the struggles that were birthed by financial marginalization and has prioritized responding to the call to make the crisis lighter especially on hardworking migrants, local SMEs and the remittances beneficiaries.

Violet Mutemachani, a 42-year-old Mbare-based entrepreneur who operates from Siyaso Market could not hide her joy as she narrated how her business has found a home with Access Forex.

Mutemachani gets raw materials from suppliers in Mutare, a city 263 kilometers outside Zimbabwe’s capital, and uses the metal to make various essentials that range from baking tins, watering kettles, bathing basins and others.

“We have really struggled to send and receive money. Lately cash has been scarce, and, in some instances, we have been forced to send money with bus drivers. It was slow and involved a lot of risks,” Mutemachani said.

She also explained that informal channels of sending money were unpredictable.

“Sometimes the bus drivers would hike the sending fee when they got to the receiver and this was unsustainable for business. The other time a driver lied to me that the money had been lost and I lost my entire capital,” she said.

Bolden Mbeve Bizariero (29), who also operates from the same area as Mutemachani said the emergence of new players like Access Forex in the remittances play had significantly eased the burden of sending money across the country.

“Since I started using Access Forex, life for me has been simpler. The convenience that comes with knowing that I can send money instantly to my foreman in Bulawayo for him to receive the cash instantly has been unmatched,” Bizariero said.

Access Forex has a mandate to deliver solutions to Zimbabwe’s unbanked populace.

Already, the firm offers cash transfer services, a product driven by market demands.

Priority to serve has also been given to Zimbabweans living the Diaspora, especially those living in the United Kingdom and South Africa for them to send money back home at affordable rates.

Financial inclusion is indeed everyone’s responsibility and it is also complimenting the Government and United Nation’s efforts through sustainable development goals.

Research shows that countries pushing the financial inclusion agenda — which encompasses access to affordable, appropriate financial services — have achieved stronger GDP growth rates and lower income inequality.

For Access Forex, driving financial inclusion goes beyond the bottom line, its aim is to focus on ushering economic empowerment, equality, and access to financial products regardless of gender, social status, or race.

Authors: Mildret Kujinga, Ndakaziva Majaka

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Written by Access AdminSeptember 28, 2020

Access Forex Expands Domestic Footprint

HARARE, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 – Remittances transfer firm, Access Forex, says it is looking at expanding its domestic remittances footprint to cover the whole country by year-end.
Mildred Kujinga Access Forex’s Business Development Manager said that the firm – which is already offering cross-border remittances for the Zimbabwe – South Africa corridor as well as the Zimbabwe – United Kingdom corridor – was moving to drive the central bank’s financial inclusion drive by targeting the financially marginalized.
“Access Forex has been aggressively growing the cross-border remittances targeting Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. We launched domestic remittances three months ago and have been expanding the domestic remittances market to take care of the receiver of the last mile,” she said.
Kujinga pointed out that this product was aimed at bringing seamless currency flow in the country in the wake of cash shortages.
“Through this product, Zimbabweans can send money to any part of Zimbabwe. This is not virtual money but hard cash that will find its way to the most remote parts of Zimbabwe bringing convenience to the country’s marginalized.
“We have deliberately partnered with players who will make it easy for Zimbabweans from all walks of life anywhere to access hard cash. We believe that this solution will save our customers the financial inconvenience of traveling to cities in search of cash,” Kujinga said.
Some of Access Forex’s partners include ProFeeds, Quest Financial, Jet Stores, MyCash and various others to make up a comprehensive network of convenience.
“We will have consistent service delivery at the lowest charges. Market response has generally been optimistic because clients from as far as the United Kingdom are now able to send money home to the very last leg.
“What drove us to launch this product is the fact that we discovered getting cash to remote parts of the country was a hustle as we were working on our ‘Feed a Million Campaign’ a programme where we are giving back to the community,” she said.
The Access Forex Business Development boss said the firm was looking at covering Zimbabwe’s 210 districts through strategic partnerships by close of 2020.

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Written by Access AdminSeptember 28, 2020

Access Finance goes global

HARARE, SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 – Finally! Zimbabweans will now be able to make global payments without a hustle.
Financial solutions firm, Access Finance, a registered bureau de change and money transfer agent, says it has developed a seamless payments product to facilitate global payments from Zimbabwe.
The firm – which already has a domestic remittances network spanning the whole country – has developed a product for import payments across the globe.
Access Finance’s Business Development Manager Mildret Kujinga said the finance solutions firm sought to plug the inconvenience clients have experienced over the past five years by failing to settle international obligations.
“Most Zimbabweans have been struggling to make payments outside the country. We have had students stranded outside the country, not because parents did not have the money to honour their obligations, but simply because parents could not find convenient ways of making these payments.
“Similarly, individuals have failed to sit for crucial examinations because they had failed to make payments to treasury bodies like the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and others.
“Our promise to our customers is that this is now a thing of the past. They can process these payments through us instantly,” Kujinga said.
Access Finance’s outbound remittances business enables customers to execute school and university fees payments, professional body subscriptions, import payments, medical bills and any other offshore payment that one may need to settle.
“There have been situations where clients needed to settle medical bills, say in India, but then had to watch loved ones waste away because there was simply no way of settling these bills.
“This will not happen again, as long as we can help it. Access will ensure these payments are made seamlessly,” Kujinga said.
Kujinga said the firm has proven capacity to facilitate payments across the world.
“We are licensed in the United Kingdom and South Africa with the exchange control authorities in both jurisdictions. We are not limited to Zimbabwe alone, we are global,” she said.
“We also do this locally. For instance, the parent is sitting on RTGS and wants to pay in USD or vice versa. Or they want to liquidate their nostro and still make payments. We are the go-to people because we will process all these payments without a hustle,” she added.
“Locally, we facilitate for conversion between foreign currencies and the Zimbabwean dollar. This makes us the go-to treasury and payments services provider.”, she added.
Highlighting that the company was equipped to do any currency switch ranging from ZAR to USD, GBP to USD, EUR to USD and vice versa, Kujinga said Access Forex also had in-house treasury solutions.
“For anything to do with forex, we are the go-to people. So, this means that even if you are traveling to any part of the world, you can visit us and we will switch the currencies for you without any hustle,” she said.

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Written by Access AdminSeptember 1, 2020

Access Forex Brings Zimbabweans in the UK and SA Closer to Home

Access Forex Brings Zimbabweans in the UK and SA Closer to Home

The Access Forex Remittance platform allows Zimbabweans abroad to send money home to loved ones seamlessly, quickly, and securely. Through Access Forex, recipients in Zimbabwe can collect funds sent conveniently, through a growing network of partners. Access Forex guarantees its customers payouts in USD cash, as well as a pleasant and smooth experience with excellent customer service and no queues.

Access Forex has 3 registered agents in Zimbabwe: MyCash Financial Services, Quest Financial Services, and Access Finance Bureau De Change. MyCash Financial Services is a payment service provider that also offers remittance services to customers. MyCash services are available at 47 TM PicknPay branches across Zimbabwe, collecting money sent from the UK or South Africa is swift and user-friendly.

Quest Financial Services was first licensed as an Authorised Dealer with Limited Authority (ADLA) in 2015. Since then, the company has become a force to be reckoned with in the Money Transfer sector. Quest Financial Services became an Access Forex portal agent in early 2020, and processes pay-outs for remittances coming to Zimbabwe from the United Kingdom and South Africa. Customers can collect money sent home by loved ones from Quest Financial Services branches in Harare and Bulawayo.

Through MyCash, Quest Financial Services, and Access Finance, Access Forex customers can collect their receipts from 30 branches across Zimbabwe: in Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo, Plumtree, and Gwanda. Access Forex is currently rolling out operations in Chinhoyi, Mutoko, Kadoma, Ruwa, Marondera, and Norton as its footprint continues to grow and expand across the country. Through a fast and efficient digitized service, receivers are sent a pin to their mobile numbers when their loved ones abroad send money home. By visiting any Access Forex registered agent with the pin and their valid passport or National ID, receivers can collect their money with ease and convenience.

Access Forex shared its vision for its role in serving customers at home and abroad. “We are excited to have launched our home-grown solution in South Africa as well as the UK,” they stated. “Zimbabweans are best equipped to solve Zimbabwean problems and we are playing our part to equip and connect Zimbabweans at home and abroad.”

Remittances are growing in Zimbabwe and across Africa. Migrant workers across the globe make a fundamental contribution to their families and communities back home, helping the sustainable development of their countries. Many Zimbabweans have emigrated to South Africa and the UK, leaving their loved ones behind at home. Zimbabweans abroad regularly send money to contribute to the needs of loved ones at home, from school fees and medical bills to the building of homes. Remittances also go a long way in supporting rural communities, who are often marginalized. Access Forex connects families, and in so doing it supports the contributions of Zimbabweans abroad to the needs and development of communities across the nation.

About Access Forex
Access Forex, a 100% Zimbabwean-owned remittances business, brings Zimbabweans in the UK and South Africa closer to home. The business is licensed by the South African Reserve Bank and FCA in the UK as a money transfer operator for remittances into Zimbabwe from the UK and South Africa.

For more information email help@accessforex.com. Alternatively, reach the Access Forex Call Centre by phoning +263 8677 180 221, or Whatsapp +263 776 302 424.

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Written by Access AdminSeptember 1, 2020

Access Forex and African Basket Partnership Brings Zimbabweans Closer to Home

Access Forex has partnered with African Basket in Gauteng to bring Zimbabweans in South Africa closer to home. By partnering with African Basket, a Zimbabwean-owned retailer with 11 branches in Gauteng, Access Forex provides remittances to Zimbabweans. The Access Forex Remittance platform allows Zimbabweans abroad to send money home to loved ones seamlessly, quickly, and securely. The platform is accessible and makes sending money home more convenient than ever. Through Access Forex, recipients in Zimbabwe can collect funds sent conveniently, through local agents MyCash, Quest Financial Services, and Access Finance Registered Bureau De Change. Access Forex is now available at over 30 branches across Zimbabwe as it continues to grow its Access Forex guarantees its customers payouts in USD cash, as well as a pleasant and smooth experience with excellent customer service and no queues.

Within South Africa, the largest Zimbabwean population resides in Gauteng province. This makes African Basket particularly convenient to access, as well as the locations of their branches which are close to taxi ranks. Customers can send money home to Zimbabwe by visiting any of the 11 African Basket branches registering and depositing cash or swiping with their debit cards. Zimbabweans who reside outside of Gauteng province can visit the website www.accessforex..com and register on our self -service portal

Access Forex believes it has an important role in serving customers at home and abroad. “We are excited to have launched our home-grown solution in South Africa as well as the UK,” they stated. “Zimbabweans are best equipped to solve Zimbabwean problems and we are playing our part to equip and connect Zimbabweans at home and abroad.”

Remittances are growing in Zimbabwe and across Africa. Across the globe, migrant workers make a fundamental contribution to their families and communities back home by helping the sustainable development of their countries. Many Zimbabweans have emigrated to South Africa, leaving their loved ones behind at home. Zimbabweans abroad regularly send money to contribute to the needs of loved ones at home, from school fees and medical bills to the building of homes. Remittances also go a long way in supporting rural communities, who are often marginalized. Access Forex connects families, and in so doing it supports the contributions of Zimbabweans abroad to the needs and development of communities across the nation.

About Access Forex
Access Forex, a 100% Zimbabwean-owned remittances business, brings Zimbabweans in the UK and South Africa closer to home. The business is licensed by the South African Reserve Bank and FCA in the UK as a money transfer operator for remittances into Zimbabwe from the UK and South Africa.

For more information email help@accessforex.com. Alternatively, reach the Access Forex Call Centre by phoning +263 8677 180 221, or Whatsapp +263 776 302 424.

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Written by Access AdminJune 16, 2020

Celebrating Sending Money Home on International Day of Family Remittances

Every year on the 16th of June the International Day of Family Remittance is celebrated. The main objective of this day is to show the effect of remittance on families and their countries of origin.

What is Remittance?
This refers to money that is sent or transferred to another party. The term is derived from the word remit, which means to send back.
Remittance is not only limited to personal money but can also include business or service payments. One in seven people in the world is either sending or receiving money with an estimate of 800 million benefits from the remittance

How does Remittance Work?
Remittance services are usually used by migrants in need of a service that is focused on sending money with better exchange rates and implement the same security measures as traditional financial institutions. The sender usually goes to the office or use their online website or app to send money by filling their personal information and the beneficiary’s data. It usually takes minutes to complete.

Zimbabwe is one of the top five beneficiaries of remittances in Africa for the year 2019. Data provided by data.worldbank shows that in 2019 Zimbabwe received $1.8bn in remittance. Diaspora remittance aids the country in having much needed foreign currency for the importation of essential products and services while contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

IFAD has stated that between 2015 and 2030 (the SDG timeframe), an estimated US$8.5 trillion will be sent by migrants back to their communities of origin in developing countries. Of that amount, more than US$2 billion will either be saved or invested. Zimbabweans abroad totaling over 3 million can aid in reducing poverty, hunger, and providing opportunities to quality education and economic growth.

How Zimbabweans are benefiting from remittance:
1. It allows the benefiting family to have access to better education, food, healthcare while improving their livelihood.
2. It improves our country’s per capita income and GDP
3. It provides peace of mind to the sender as they have knowledge of how the recipient is going to receive money and when.

It’s also important to note that in light of the global pandemic with more people not employed there is a slight decrease in money being sent home as the rate may not be as high pre-covid19. Remittances can be costly to send with the global average being seven percent of the amount sent and with that in mind as more and more families in Zimbabwe depend on remittance to survive we as Access Forex ensures that your loved ones can send money home at a favorable rate and paying out in USD cash guaranteed at all our registered agents in our growing network across the country

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Written by Access AdminApril 22, 2020

Access Forex Donates Sanitary Wear through Feed a Million Initiative

Access Forex has committed to join the fight against period poverty, by donating 500 menstrual cups and 500 pads in hampers that have been distributed as part of the Feed a Million initiative. The organization, which provides remittance services for Zimbabweans in the UK and South Africa, strives to make a tangible impact on the communities in which it operates. As such, Access Forex has committed a seed of USD 200 000, towards a target fund of USD 1 million, to go towards child-headed homes, orphans and the elderly.

In Zimbabwe, the girl child in vulnerable communities fails to access Sanitary wear due to the high cost of sanitary wear and this leads to many young girls turning to unsafe alternatives. The government has also recognized the need to fight against period poverty, and taxes on menstrual products have been suspended since the 2017 budget. The use of menstrual cups has many benefits. They are medically safe and reusable for years, making them a cheaper and environmentally-friendly option. Menstrual cups are convenient to use, can be worn during all activities including sleeping and exercising, and they do not leak when used correctly. All these factors mean that one menstrual cup can make a positive impact on a girl or a woman’s life for several years.

Dr. George Chirwa, Director of Access Forex, shared the importance of providing menstrual cups alongside the UN-recommended food staples included in the hampers. “Vulnerable girls and women in our communities are further marginalized by period poverty, as they are unable to access menstrual hygiene tools and educations. By providing access to menstrual products, we are playing our part to help dismantle the hurdles that vulnerable girls and women face,” he stated. COVID-19, the subsequent lockdown and the impact on our local economy have impacted access to income, further exacerbating conditions for those already living in poverty. Access Forex will roll out the initiative first in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls before spreading out to provide food aid and sanitary products across the country.

The Feed a Million initiative is rolling out in partnership with Caritas Zimbabwe, an organization whose mandate includes integral human development, emergency relief, advocacy, peacebuilding, respect for human rights and support for proper stewardship of the planet’s environment and resources. Caritas Zimbabwe will not only distribute the menstrual cups but will also educate each recipient on the safe and proper use of the product. Marius Zibgwi, National Co-ordinator of Caritas Zimbabwe, also emphasized the importance of including the distribution of sanitary products as part of the initiative. “There are many issues that intersect to contribute to poverty. We seek to address hunger and poverty through our work, and this strong partnership with Access Forex will help us to work towards dismantling period poverty. By addressing access to sanitary products, we begin to address issues affecting girls’ and women’s participation in education and society as a whole,” he stated.

In this time of national crisis, Access Forex continues to challenge other corporates to join the fight to assist marginalized and vulnerable members of our communities. By collaborating with Access Forex and donating towards the USD1 million goal, local companies play their part in solving local challenges that face the country. The goal to #FeedAMillion is expected to grow beyond the COVID-19 crisis, and Access Forex will continue to implement initiatives to uplift Zimbabweans.

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