Econet has launched ecoAI Token , a new consumer artificial intelligence service that allows users to access multiple AI models through prepaid tok...
HARARE – Econet has launched ecoAI Token, a new consumer artificial intelligence service that allows users to access multiple AI models through prepaid token packages, extending the company’s familiar data-bundle approach into the growing AI market.
The service was introduced this week by Econet AI, the artificial intelligence subsidiary of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. The company describes itself as a wholly owned subsidiary of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe established to bring advanced AI solutions to the local market.
According to technology publication Techzim, ecoAI Token works as an AI aggregator, allowing users to interact with several leading AI models through a single service. The models currently available include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Mistral.
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The service uses a prepaid model similar to the way mobile customers purchase data bundles. Techzim reported that customers can purchase AI tokens using Econet airtime or EcoCash, with packages priced at 10 US cents for a day, 70 US cents for a week and US$3 for a month.
The launch gives Econet customers another way to access artificial intelligence without necessarily taking out a conventional monthly subscription directly with an individual AI provider. Users purchase a token allocation and use those tokens while interacting with the available models.
Techzim reported that registering for the service involves entering an Econet mobile number and completing a one-time password verification process. After logging in, users select their preferred package and make payment through EcoCash.
The publication said it tested the daily package, which provided 5,000 tokens. The report noted that token consumption can vary depending on how users interact with the AI models and the complexity of their conversations.
Once a user’s token allocation is exhausted, another package can be purchased, following the same general principle as purchasing additional mobile data when an existing bundle runs out.
The launch forms part of a broader AI strategy by Econet. Econet AI’s official website lists a range of artificial intelligence services, including EcoChat AI, Sizani AI, Yamurai OmniContact AI and EcoFarmer AI.
Econet AI says its services are designed to make advanced AI technologies more accessible to Zimbabwean businesses and support digital transformation. The company also says it works with global technology partners including Google, OpenAI, NVIDIA and Microsoft.
The company’s existing AI portfolio is largely focused on business applications. EcoChat AI, for example, is described as a generative AI chatbot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and accessible through channels including voice, SMS, USSD, web and mobile.
EcoFarmer AI is aimed at agriculture and provides location-based advice covering areas such as planting, pest control and market trends, while also offering photo-based disease detection and crop calendars, according to Econet AI.
The ecoAI Token launch represents a move into a more direct consumer offering. Rather than providing a single AI tool for a specific business function, the service brings several AI models together under one platform, according to Techzim’s report.
The prepaid structure is also consistent with Econet’s established approach to digital services. The company’s existing data bundles are sold with specific allocations and validity periods, while customers can purchase them through channels including USSD, Econet shops, EcoCash and other approved platforms.
Econet’s existing data-bundle system includes daily, weekly and monthly packages, with different allocations and prices. The company also offers specialised bundles for services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and X.
With ecoAI Token, the unit being purchased is no longer mobile data but AI usage measured through tokens. This creates a familiar purchasing model for consumers who already use prepaid mobile services.
The new product also arrives as Econet continues expanding its wider artificial intelligence infrastructure. Econet AI operates AI compute services that provide businesses, researchers and developers with computing resources for artificial intelligence, data analytics and machine learning.
The company says its AI compute platform includes high-performance GPUs and CPUs, scalable computing resources and infrastructure hosted within Econet AI Zimbabwe facilities.
Econet has also been using partnerships to make AI products available to its customers. Its website currently promotes a Google Gemini offer giving selected Econet customers a free trial of the Gemini Plus plan.
The Gemini promotion is separate from ecoAI Token, but it illustrates Econet’s wider strategy of connecting its customer base with major artificial intelligence platforms.
For consumers, one of the key features of ecoAI Token is the ability to access different AI models through one service. Rather than maintaining separate payment arrangements for every platform, users can use the aggregator and select from the models available through it.
However, the service is still new, and its pricing and model selection will determine how it compares with direct subscriptions and free access options offered by individual AI companies. Techzim’s initial review raised questions about the relative value of the service for users who already have access to free versions of some major AI platforms.
The publication also noted that the AI models available through ecoAI Token may not always be the latest versions offered directly by their respective providers.
Those considerations could make the service more relevant to users who value the convenience of switching between different AI models and paying in smaller amounts rather than maintaining multiple subscriptions.
Econet AI’s stated mission is to democratise artificial intelligence in Zimbabwe by delivering accessible AI solutions that can contribute to economic growth and social development.
The company says its AI services are intended to support sectors including agriculture, healthcare, financial services, education and logistics, alongside wider enterprise applications.
The ecoAI Token launch adds a consumer-focused product to that broader portfolio and gives Econet another route into Zimbabwe’s expanding AI market.
The service also reflects a shift in how artificial intelligence can be sold to consumers. Instead of paying exclusively for a fixed monthly subscription, users can purchase smaller allocations based on their anticipated usage.
For Zimbabwean consumers accustomed to prepaid telecommunications services, that approach may make AI access easier to understand and budget for. The actual value, however, will depend on token consumption, available models and how frequently individual users rely on the service.
Econet has not publicly positioned ecoAI Token as a replacement for individual AI platforms. Instead, the product brings multiple models together under one service, according to the information available from Techzim.
The launch is another indication that artificial intelligence is becoming part of mainstream digital services in Zimbabwe, moving beyond enterprise applications into products aimed directly at individual consumers.
Econet’s wider AI business already includes conversational AI, agricultural intelligence, human resources automation, customer service solutions and AI computing infrastructure.
With ecoAI Token, the company is now applying its prepaid consumer model to AI access, allowing customers to purchase tokens in smaller packages and use them across supported AI models.
The product is expected to develop as Econet AI expands its services and partnerships. For now, its main distinction is the combination of multiple AI models with a prepaid payment structure familiar to Econet’s existing customer base.
