The City of Harare’s (COH) Department of Housing and Community Services, Small and Medium Enterprises Division has taken a significant step towards embracing digital transformation with the launch of E-Musika, an innovative online mobile revenue collection system. Developed by the Harare Institute of Technology’s (HIT) LADS Africa and the City’s Information and Communications Technologies Department, this system aims to revolutionise and modernise market operations by improving efficiency, transparency, and revenue collection.

According to the Director of LADS Africa, Engineer T. Maphosa, the E-Musika system utilises cutting-edge gadgets to collect revenue from market vendors, whether they have accounts or not. It boasts a multi-currency system that produces receipts with a QR code for enhanced security. Additionally, the system generates daily, weekly, and monthly management reports to provide accurate data for informed decision-making.

The City of Harare’s Acting Town Clerk, Mr J. Dube emphasised that the E-Musika system is designed to usher in a new era of transparency, efficiency, and accuracy in revenue collection. Mr A. Nhakairo, the City’s Director of Housing and Community Services, Medium and Small Enterprises Division, commended the system for its potential to revolutionise and modernise the city’s market operations, reduce the risk of fraud and corruption, and drive increased revenue collection.

Chairperson of the City of Harare’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Committee, Councillor W.T Nhende lauded the City’s commitment to embracing innovation and technology to elevate service delivery.

The launch of the E-Musika system marks a significant stride towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) of creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. Furthermore, the City of Harare plans to establish designated market areas in its continued efforts to modernise markets and elevate services for its residents and stakeholders.