Harare City Council, in partnership with Helcraw Water and Laison Technology, has launched a smart prepaid water meter project, leveraging digital metering and management solutions to enhance water management and ensure reliable service for residents.
Harare has long struggled with water shortages and management challenges. Aging infrastructure and frequent leaks have led to significant water losses, while low water bill collection limits revenue and hampers sustainable operations.
The project aims to deploy approximately 650,000 smart water meters, with 320,000 installed in Harare and the remaining units installed across neighboring cities. Laison’s smart water meter solution provides Prepaid, Remote Meter Data Collection, Anti-tamper and Alarm Event Record, and other functions to assist CoH in boosting revenue collection, improving operational efficiency and reducing non-revenue water (NRW).
In October 2025, 50pcs pilot meters were installed, local residents hope that the smart prepaid water meters will bring greater fairness, transparency, and reliability to the city’s water supply. The next batch of installation will start from the middle of November.
Watch the on-site installation video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2gZ9iF5yU
Clark Dai, Deputy General Manager of LAISON Technology, said, “This system was specifically designed to meet Harare’s needs, addressing low water bill collection rates and management inefficiencies. We have also trained local staff on installing the smart water meters and managing the system, including its operation and maintenance. This ensures accurate and transparent billing.”
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume described the move as “a significant milestone for Harare,” saying it would help curb non-payment, illegal use and revenue losses that have long crippled service delivery.
The smart prepaid water meter project represents a major step forward in modernizing Harare’s water management and showcases the city’s commitment to advancing smart governance and improving public services.
By providing advanced products and technology, Laison is committed to driving the digital transformation and sustainable development of water supply systems in Zimbabwe and other African countries, while offering valuable insights for other regions to implement similar solutions.