Why Remittances to Zimbabwe Are Still Broken — And Who’s Fixing It
Every year, Zimbabweans living abroad send billions of dollars home. These remittances are more than transactions; they’re lifelines. They cover school fees, pay for medical care, put food on tables, and keep small businesses afloat. But too often, a significant chunk of that hard-earned money is lost to high fees, poor exchange rates, and slow processing times.
This inefficiency isn’t just frustrating; it’s costly. For families back home, even a day’s delay can mean missing a critical payment or going without essentials. For senders, it’s the painful realisation that the value they intended to deliver arrives smaller and later than promised.
The Cost of Sending Money Home
Across Africa, remittance fees remain among the highest in the world. For Zimbabweans abroad, whether in the UK, South Africa, or beyond, sending money home can cost between 7% and 12% of the amount sent. That means if a worker sends $200, as much as $24 disappears before it even reaches their family.
Add to this the delays caused by outdated systems, manual verification processes, and cross-border regulatory complexities, and the problem becomes even more urgent. While digital options have emerged, many come with their own trade-offs: hidden fees, poor network reliability, or difficulty for rural recipients to access funds.
Why It Matters
Remittances are more than a financial transaction; they are a vital part of Zimbabwe’s economy. According to recent estimates, they account for a significant percentage of the country’s foreign currency inflows, directly impacting household spending, education opportunities, and local business growth.
But when those remittances are reduced by inefficiency, it’s not just individual families that suffer; the entire economic ecosystem feels the strain. Every lost dollar is a lost opportunity for growth, stability, and resilience.
A Founder Looking at the Problem Differently
This is where Munashe Emperor Roy Mupoto comes in. Known as Emps Roy or Roy Mupoto, he’s a British-Zimbabwean entrepreneur who understands the issue from both sides of the diaspora bridge. Born in Harare and raised in the UK, he’s seen first-hand how much sacrifice goes into sending money home and how frustrating it is when that value doesn’t arrive intact.
With a background that spans grassroots culture, corporate enterprise, and strategic business building, Emperor Roy brings a rare combination of vision and execution. He’s not just talking about fixing remittances; he’s building the foundation to make it happen. Inspired by Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 call for modernisation and digital growth, his approach positions remittances as more than financial transfers; they are building blocks of national progress.
Tackling the Real Pain Points
The work ahead is focused on addressing three core principles:
Lower Costs: Reducing reliance on expensive intermediaries so families receive more of what is sent.
Faster Delivery: Streamlined systems that allow funds to move in near real time, even across borders.
Accessibility: Ensuring recipients can use basic smartphones or local cash-out points without technical barriers.
This isn’t a theoretical model; it’s being designed for the realities of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure and the needs of its people.
Stability as a Core Feature
At the heart of this mission is a focus on stability. Unlike volatile or experimental systems, the framework is being built to preserve value across borders and time. For the sender, this means confidence that what leaves their account arrives with the same strength. For the receiver, it means purchasing power that isn’t eroded before it can be used.
Beyond Remittances
While the immediate priority is solving the inefficiencies of sending money home, the long-term outlook is broader. Once a trusted, affordable channel exists, additional layers of savings tools, entrepreneurship support, and financial education can naturally follow.
As Roy often puts it, “A payment is only the start. Real impact comes when you build the layers that follow.”
Building Trust Through Compliance
A critical reason remittances remain costly is the complex web of compliance and regulation across jurisdictions. Rather than trying to bypass these systems, Emps Roy on Medium highlights how he is integrating compliance into the foundation of his model. This approach builds trust with regulators, investors, and most importantly, users. Trust is not just about technology. It’s about governance, transparency, and reliability. By embedding these values early, Munashe Emperor Roy Mupoto is positioning his work as more than a fintech product; it’s part of the infrastructure for a global Zimbabwean community.
A Problem Worth Solving
For too long, the story of remittances to Zimbabwe has been one of compromise: accept the fees, accept the delays, accept the inefficiency. But with innovators like Emperor Roy bringing global expertise to local realities, that story may be about to change.
The stakes are high, but so is the potential. If even a fraction of lost remittance value can be recovered, it could mean millions more in the pockets of Zimbabwean families every year. That’s money for schoolbooks, farm equipment, healthcare, and building the foundations of generational wealth.
The next chapter in Zimbabwe’s remittance story isn’t just about moving money; it’s about moving it better, faster, and with more respect for the people it serves.
