Zimbabwe
A point of sale built for Zimbabwean shops
Sell through a power cut, price in the currency you actually trade in, and start from a stock list that already knows what a shop here sells. Runs on the Android phone you already own.
On the ground
Built for how shops here actually trade
Four things that decide whether a till survives a real trading day.
- Keeps selling through an outage
- Power cut or network down, the till still rings up sales, adjusts stock and prints receipts. Everything syncs by itself once you reconnect, and the app shows you exactly what is still waiting.
- Prices in the currency you trade in
- Enable the currencies you actually use and set the rate for each one yourself. Product prices, purchase orders and reports all follow those rates. Zimbabwe is set up in USD by default.
- Runs on the phone you already have
- Any reasonably modern Android phone or tablet for the till, any browser for the dashboard. No proprietary terminal to buy. Thermal printers connect over Bluetooth, USB or network.
- Cash that adds up at close
- Every cash movement is recorded and shifts reconcile the drawer against what was rung up. Each cashier signs in with their own PIN, so every sale, refund and void has a name against it.
Starter catalogues
Start from your trade, already priced
Typing a whole stock list into a new system is the reason most shops give up in week one. Pick the trade you are in and start from a catalogue built from a Zimbabwean retail list and priced in USD — close to 2,800 products across twelve trades. Change what you like afterwards; nothing is fixed.
- Grocery & Supermarket
- Bottle Store
- Butchery
- Greengrocer
- Bakery & Confectionery
- Bread & Rolls
- Dairy, Chilled & Frozen
- Health & Beauty
- Household Cleaning
- Houseware
- Gift Shop
- Tobacco & Cigarettes
Already keeping a stock book on paper? Photograph it instead and we read it into typed items and quantities — free to try, no account needed. Load stock from a photo →
And everything else
The rest of the system, wherever you trade
Stock across every shop and warehouse, purchase orders that suggest themselves, profit by product and by branch, permissions by role, and shifts that close properly.
Questions
Before you sign up
Does Essence POS work during a power cut or when the network is down?
Yes. The cashier app is offline-first, so the till keeps ringing up sales, adjusting stock and printing receipts straight through an outage. Everything syncs by itself once you are back online, and the app shows you exactly what is still waiting to sync.
Can I sell in USD and other currencies?
Yes. You enable the currencies you actually trade in and set the rate for each one yourself. Product prices, purchase orders and reports all use those rates. Zimbabwe is set up in USD by default.
Do I have to type in my whole stock list to get started?
No. Pick the trade you are in and start from a catalogue already priced for Zimbabwe — twelve trades are included, from grocery and bottle store to butchery, greengrocer and health and beauty. You can also photograph a handwritten or printed stock book and have it read into typed items and quantities. That one is free to try at essenceofsale.com/scan without an account.
What hardware do I need?
Any reasonably modern Android phone or tablet for the till, and any computer with a browser for the admin dashboard. There is no proprietary terminal to buy. Most standard thermal printers and cash drawers are supported, over Bluetooth, USB or network.
What payment methods can I take?
Cash, today. The till works out change, reconciles the drawer at cash-up and holds up through a shift without a network. Card and mobile money collection at the till are in development — we would rather list them when the money genuinely moves than take a sale on a promise.
Can I run more than one shop from one account?
Yes. Add locations and warehouses as you grow and run all of them from a single admin dashboard, with products, prices and staff permissions kept in sync. You can transfer stock between branches and keep both sides accurate. How many tills you can run at once depends on your plan.
How do I stop stock and cash going missing?
Each cashier signs in with their own PIN on a shared till, so every sale, refund and void has a name against it. Permissions are set by role, price changes are logged with who made them, and shifts reconcile the drawer against what was rung up. Stock counts hide the expected figure so staff record what is actually on the shelf.
Is Essence POS ZIMRA fiscalised?
Not yet. Fiscalisation is in development, and we will say so plainly here the day it is available rather than before. Everything else on this page works today.
Ready to open your shop?
14 days free. No card. Cancel whenever you like.