BUY ZIMBABWE has partnered with Owana Lost and Found Tech to execute joint blitz operations targeting the smuggling and influx of illicit and counterfeit goods through stricter confiscations, product traceability technology, and consumer awareness campaigns.
Owana is a technology-driven platform that helps citizens register valuables, report found items, protect assets, and reconnect owners with their property.
Speaking during an anti-counterfeit campaign, Buy Zimbabwe general manager Munyaradzi Hwengwere said fake products now mirror genuine packaging and pricing exactly, making tech-based tracking essential.
“Firstly, we need to strengthen measures to detect counterfeits, including confiscating those goods, and we need traceability technology, especially for retailers. With current technology, a product can be traced back to its source,” Hwengwere said.
“We need consumers to understand that cheap can be expensive. Not everything that is cheap is good for your health. Sometimes you buy a cheap product and end up paying heavier hospital bills.
“Some brands have run intensive campaigns and it has worked. But we have also realised an emerging issue: counterfeiters are very smart. Now they are making product packaging exactly the same, including pricing, so we need continuous interventions. That is why technology works,” he added.
He noted that counterfeiters can easily replicate physical attributes like weight, but technology remains significantly harder to fake.
“When they realise you catch them because of weight, they make sure it matches the exact weight. You cannot fake technology because if you try, you will still be caught.
“It is an ongoing exercise. Each time you win, counterfeiters also become wiser. First and foremost, this is a criminal offence. Theft is theft. If you steal, you face the full wrath of the law, which includes confiscation of goods,” Hwengwere said.
“The producer of counterfeits must feel the law, lose value, and incur heavy losses. But consumers must also be wiser. Laws must be strengthened, similar to livestock theft where courts now hand down 10-to-20-year sentences. Theft must be eradicated from this economy if Vision 2030 is to be achieved.”
Owana director Yaniso Dube said the platform assists in reuniting owners with lost items and fosters safer communities through registration, asset marking, and centralised reporting.
“We have been engaged by Buy Zimbabwe to assist with anti-counterfeiting solutions. They require a technology partner with our capabilities. We offer homegrown Zimbabwean technology created specifically to fight counterfeiting,” Dube said.
“With our technology, counterfeiting local products will become extremely difficult. The Buy Zimbabwe insignia will incorporate a QR code from Owana, which consumers can scan before purchasing in a shop.
“The Owana system, working alongside Buy Zimbabwe, will reveal exact product details confirming accreditation and manufacturer specifications in real time,” he added.-newsday
