Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has completed the integration of the national Civil Registry database with mobile financial services subscriber records, marking a decisive step in the central bank’s drive to strengthen identity verification, curb fraud and choke off illicit financial flows.
The integration will allow biometric and national identification verification of mobile money users, cross-checking subscriber details held by mobile network operators and mobile money platforms against official Civil Registry records.
In his 2026 Monetary Policy Statement (MPS), delivered in February this year, RBZ Governor Dr John Mushayavanhu directed all mobile money operators to de-register accounts that could not be verified against valid national identification documents by the end of June.
Mobile money operators had already complied with a 2021 regulatory directive enforcing a strict “one line, one wallet” policy, limiting each SIM card to a single mobile money account.
But, inconsistencies persisted within the subscriber databases of mobile network operators, exposing gaps the latest measures are designed to close.
Responding to questions sent by The Herald, Dr Mushayavanhu confirmed that all mobile money operators had completed a customer verification exercise.
“Following the 2026 February Monetary Policy Statement, the Reserve Bank directed all mobile money operators to complete a customer verification exercise and submit proof of compliance by 30 June 2026,” he said.
“All operators have since met this requirement and provided the necessary documentation.
“Pursuant to that, all mobile money wallets were rescreened in collaboration with the Civil Registry, and the Reserve Bank’s follow-up verification process was successfully concluded by 30 June 2026 with no adverse issues noted during the exercise.
“Furthermore, all mobile money providers have now been integrated with the Civil Registry system to enable customer identity verification during on-boarding and ongoing Know Your Customer (KYC) reviews.”
He added that the central bank would continue to exercise regulatory oversight and monitor compliance going forward.
In his MPS statement, Dr Mushayavanhu had warned that discrepancies in SIM card registration – including duplicated identities, ghost lines and mismatched subscriber details – continued to pose systemic risks within the digital financial system.
Such irregularities, the RBZ noted, can enable fraud, identity manipulation and other forms of financial crime, including illicit financial flows.
By integrating Civil Registry records with telecommunications and mobile money databases, authorities expect to build a more secure and transparent digital financial ecosystem, one in which every mobile money account is directly linked to a national identity.
The stakes of inaction were laid bare in February this year, when 11 individuals aged between 20 and 26 were arrested after hacking 31 different complainants.
POS machines keep growing despite digital payment shift
In addition, Dr Mushayavanhu said the country had continued to witness growth in the number of Point of Sale (POS) machines despite the emergence and growing adoption of alternative digital payment methods.
The integration of mobile money subscriber records with the Civil Registry Department’s national database, alongside the expansion of digital payment platforms, was part of efforts to strengthen the integrity, security and efficiency of the country’s payments ecosystem.
“In recent years, the payments landscape has continued to evolve, with growing adoption of alternative faster payments that leverage digital payment channels, including mobile banking applications, mobile money platforms, QR code-based payments, online payment gateways, and other instant and faster payment solutions,” he said.
“These innovations provide merchants and consumers with additional secure, convenient, and cost-effective payment options, thereby complementing traditional POS-based payment acceptance channels.
“Despite the growing use of alternative payment methods, POS devices remain an important component of the national payments ecosystem, particularly for merchant acceptance of card-based transactions.
“In this regard, the number of POS devices in the market increased from 155 518 in February to 156 664 as at June 30, 2026.”
