In 18 months, our Dynatón Data Advertising platform delivered over 200 million impressions across Zimbabwe’s digital landscape. What started as data collection quickly turned into a front-row seat to what actually works in this market.

This is the first in a series of 25 insights we’ll be sharing, each drawn from real campaigns, real results, and lessons you can apply whether you’re running social media for your tuckshop or leading marketing for a national brand.

1. Speak Zimbabwean First, Marketing-Speak Second

Generic global creatives rarely resonate here.Your audience is Zimbabwean first.

A food delivery service that showcased sadza and other traditional Zimbabwean dishes reported an order volume increase by over 36% compared to one restaurant which showed international cuisines.. Why? Because Zimbabwean audiences instantly recognize when you’re speaking to them, not at them.

Quick Win: Reference local touchpoints that signal you understand the culture and relate to the average zimbabwean. Even simple localizations (using “kombi” instead of “minibus“) create immediate connection.

2. Leverage Whatsapp as a channel

With data costs remaining a concern, WhatsApp has become Zimbabwe’s digital town square. In Q4 2024, we introduced WhatsApp Advertising by building entire customer journeys inside the app, from discovery to purchase, without ever asking users to leave their comfort zone. For many Zimbabweans, WhatsApp is the internet. It’s common to hear someone say, “as long as phone yangu ichiita WhatsApp.” That’s where recommendations happen, where brands are discussed, and where buying decisions start.

We didn’t just follow the audience; we designed for their behavior. By embedding brand discovery and engagement into everyday chats, we’ve seen campaigns drive results that feel more like word-of-mouth than marketing. If you want to meet your customers where they actually are, not where you hope they’ll be, WhatsApp is the place. And Dynaton makes that transition seamless.

3. Your Payment Flow Makes or Breaks Conversion

The moment you force Zimbabwean customers to leave their comfort zone for payment, you’ve lost them. Payment friction kills conversions. By integrating EcoCash prominently at first interaction, one ecommerce client slashed cart abandonment by significant points.

Pro Tip: Test your full payment journey on slow connections and older devices , that’s where most breakdowns happen.

4. Turn Zimbabwe’s Constraints Into Your Competitive Edge

When budgets are tight, creativity must stretch further. When you can’t out‑spend, out‑innovate. I’ll leave it as this.

Success Secret: Ask yourself “How can this limitation become our advantage?” instead of just working around it.

5. Build Real-Time Resilience Into Your Marketing

A client of ours recently ran a weekend flash sale. A few hours in, we noticed the click-through rate wasn’t performing as expected. Because we had real-time tracking in place, we quickly picked up on the issue , the call-to-action didn’t match the urgency of the offer. We worked with the client to adjust the creative mid-campaign, and engagement jumped by +42% before the sale ended.

The takeaway: In the fast-paced digital space, being able to spot and fix issues while a campaign is still live can make all the difference. Data shouldn’t just be something you check after the fact. It should guide your next move.

6. Use AI to Work Smarter, Not Just Faster

AI isn’t just a global buzzword, it’s a practical tool you can use to punch above your weight. In our campaigns, we’ve used our proprietary Dynaton AI to test different ad headlines before going live, summarize large volumes of customer feedback, automated lead generation and even generate localized content variations for different regions in Zimbabwe. One telecoms client rotated AI-generated captions on our whatsapp platform tailored to low-data users, and conversions on that campaign improved by +19%.

Smart Play: Don’t try to replace your creativity ,amplify it. Use tools like ChatGPT or Canva’s Magic Write to brainstorm, localize, and optimize your content at scale. Even with a small team, AI helps you move like a big brand, without the overhead.

The Real Advantage Is Agility, Not Budget

Zimbabwe’s digital landscape rewards marketers who listen closely and respond quickly. The businesses consistently winning here aren’t necessarily those spending the most, but those understanding the cultural context, embracing local platforms, and turning every constraint into an opportunity.

This is 6 out of the 25 insights we will be sharing.