Chicken Hut have just upped their diaspora marketing game. Instead of one of their usual quips on social media, this time around they have chosen action. They are offering free delivery to diaspora customers who order a meal for their relatives and friends in Zimbabwe. The service is initially available for those whose beneficiries are in Harare, Kwekwe and Gweru leaving other towns and cities in the cold.

The good news is that unlike other elitist services that only cater to those who live in low-density areas, Chicken Hut seems to be offering delivery to every suburb. Customers will have a wide range of payment methods available including:

  • MasterCard
  • Visa
  • Instant EFT
  • Zapper
  • Mobicred

Those payment methods seem to have been crafted with South Africa in mind. South Africa is home to an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans who slave and toil everyday for the purpose of sending remittances home. The country has the largest Zimbabwean diaspora population by a wide margin.

The ZWL: USD exchange rate might have stabilised since the introduction of the auction in Zimbabwe but there is no denying it: Things are still tough for most people. For starters most people’s incomes are far below the total consumption line. Things are not helped by the fact that the cost of utilities including electricity and water continues to go up. The end result has been that local businesses have had to compete for an ever-shrinking pile of domestic disposable income. A lot of businesses have instead sought to woe Zimbabwe’s diaspora moola.

In doing so Chicken Hut joins entities like banks, construction companies, grocery outlets, real estate companies and others who have sought refuge in the diaspora market as the local population struggles to afford basics.