Doves targets SA-based Zimbabweans

23 Oct, 2016 - 04:10 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Business Reporter
DOVES Zimbabwe and Doves South Africa have reached an agreement that will see the two funeral services firms launching an insurance product dubbed ZimbaMzansi for Zimbabweans living in the neighbouring country. The product will be launched on November 1, 2016.Doves South Africa executive director Mr Thabani Msibi told The Sunday Mail Business in Harare last week that it became necessary to introduce the scheme to provide a speedy and decent burials for Zimbabweans living in South Africa.

ZimbaMzansi becomes the first product to be offered by the two firms after agreeing to collaborate to spread their tentacles across Africa.
The two have already signed an agreement to seal the deal.

Mr Msibi said no money was involved in the decision to realign the two entities’ operations since it was based on a common vision.
He said going forward, there would be massive foreign investments in ZimbaMzansi.
“The project is going to grow. For example, when we repatriate the deceased from SA to Zimbabwe, so need to invest in fleet and the type of fleet that we want needs to be a game-changer; it needs to be highly recognisable and must stand-out so that people must feel the need to be serviced by Doves,” said Mr Msibi.

He would not be drawn into revealing the amount earmarked for the project, but said the “investment would be significant”.
Doves SA has more than 165 branches in South Africa and the spread is expected to help Zimbabweans scattered across that country to access its services.

Estimates suggest that over 500 000 Zimbabweans are living in South Africa.
Some families have had complications with repatriating deceased relatives due to the unavailability of affordable and reliable funeral services, resulting in many people getting paupers’ burials.

For Doves, the plan to conquer Africa begins with providing services to Sadc citizens.
Established in 1902 by Mr David John Morgan, a wheelwright and blacksmith, Doves Morgan Funeral Services, was the first professional funeral services establishment in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia).

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds