Its early morning in Harare, and a truck delivering bread makes a screeching halt at Tindo Tuckshop in Mabvuku and the driver goes to the back of the truck, takes 4 crates of bread and hands them to the Tindo Tuckshop owner. The driver quickly signs a delivery note for Tindo and is back on the driving seat heading to the next tuckshop.

In exactly 2 hours or less, the delivery truck returns and collects cash for the bread sold. Now this would qualify as one of the shortest credit facilities in the world! The shortest term credit was popularized by bread companies and currently Bakers Inn is the leading brand.

Tuckshop owners do not have upfront cash flows for ordering most products, but most of them are capable of consistently moving volumes—and this is where credit providers came in to plug the hole.

It started with bread but now more products are being pushed this way and they include mealie meal, sweets and candy, snacks and others. Some deliver the products and collect their cash in the shortest period of time ranging from a few days to a week.

You have possibly witnessed a lot of vendors at traffic lights especially in Harare who will be selling various goods from brooms, sweets, snacks and biscuits. Where do they get the products? Do they pay for them? An underground distribution channel now exists with registered vendors accessing products—sell and cash the proceeds to the supplier.

On the ground opposite Rainbow Towers in Harare—a motorbike truck delivers ice-blocks to vendor cart owners. Sometimes the delivery bike comes earlier than the vendors and then just leave the ice under trees and collect funds later.

Thinking of launching new products in Zimbabwe? You may need to analyse how this credit model is being used for inspiration. Interestingly we once employed this model when we launched a Crowdfunding Company that delivered mealie meal to high density suburbs in Harare.

The trick is not to leave your cash in the hands of tuckshop owners for too long as the propensity to spend it is very high thereby increasing the risks of default.

We have now entered the last leg of the year with less than 7 weeks till 2023 comes to an end. Crime is expected to increase in line with increased spending and traffic around the country. Criminals usually increase their pace during this period and this week we witnessed an action packed movie style robbery in Southerton, Harare. A businessman lost a substantial amount of money but thanks to a dash board (dashcam) camera which recorded the robbery, the police swiftly moved in and arrested the culprits in hours!

Here are a list of areas our members are supposed to take great caution

Vehicle Purchases: A lot of vehicle purchase transactions do take place during the festive season. Criminals hang around garages ready to pounce. Move from one garage to the next making inquiries and you would have broadcasted to the public that you have cash.

Vehicle Sales: In a cash economy where most of it is kept at home–every vehicle sale is resulting in the cash being kept at home. And vehicle registration books in most cases provides evidence of the exact location where the cash is to be kept. Assess the costs of bank charges against the total loss of the funds including injury to you and family members. Last year many lost funds this way with sometimes hijacking taking place before the seller reaches home.

Residential Stands Transactions: Similar to the vehicle transactions noted above-avoid carrying huge amounts of cash to purchase stands or even sales. Avoid travelling long distances and be wary of sudden changes in venues for transactions. You are safer dealing with registered institutions including lawyers.

Bank Deposits and Withdrawals: Do not be predictable on your movements to banks-avoid predictable patterns that makes tracking you easier for criminals. The Southerton robbery could have been avoided had the businessman used Cash In Transit vehicle services.

Home Transactions: Avoid conducting transactions at home by inviting strangers to buy or selling to them. It makes it easy to identify targets by criminals. Rather, conduct transactions away from your home.

Advertising on social media could also send a signal that someone has cash or will soon have it. Therefor be in trusted forums and also think twice before posting. Fake Proof of Payments (POPs) expected to increase too and therefore verify, verify transactions before releasing goods. Be wary of big orders before your closing period.

We expect sophistication from criminals including targeting back to school transactions. Homes should not be left alone during the festive season and avoid night travelling.