In Zimbabwe, complying with government tax rules can be a costly and bureaucratic nightmare for small business owners. However, a new tool, Roundihmp, is offering a lifeline to these entrepreneurs. The software platform, built by a self-taught developer in Zimbabwe, allows small businesses to issue receipts, invoices, and quotations that meet the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority's (ZIMRA) standards, without the need for expensive, government-approved machines or professional intermediaries.

The app, which runs entirely in the cloud as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, is accessible and affordable for Zimbabwean small businesses, who pay taxes. It also provides a provision for them to comply with ZIMRA fiscalisation, a process that requires businesses to use special machines, called fiscal devices, to send every receipt and invoice from their business operations to ZIMRA in real time. These devices can cost up to $1,000, and setting them up typically requires hiring experts or agents, which adds another $200 to $300 to the cost.

Roundihmp's founder and CEO, Thamsanqa Bhala, began building the platform in 2023, two years after teaching himself to code on YouTube. Since then, he has been adding new features based on feedback from early users. Bhala's goal is to grow the startup, build a team, and expand to other Southern African countries like Zambia, South Africa, and Malawi. He is currently working on adding local languages such as Shona and Chichewa to make the platform more accessible to users.

One of the biggest challenges Bhala faces is the high cost of mobile data in Zimbabwe, which can limit users' ability to access the platform. With 1GB costing over $43.75, one of the highest rates in Africa, many users can't stay online for long. However, Bhala believes the platform's value will keep users coming back, saying, "They will have to pay taxes, and I have made it simple for them. I believe they will always return."

For many of Zimbabwe's estimated 3.4 million micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the government's digital tax compliance process is simply out of reach. Government reports suggest that only 14% of small Zimbabwean businesses are formally registered, in part because of how expensive and bureaucratic the ZIMRA fiscalisation process is. Roundihmp is helping to bridge this gap, making it easier for small businesses to comply with tax regulations.

Business consultant and website developer Munyaradzi Tumbare, who has used Roundihmp, praised the platform's efficiency and speed, saying, "Roundihmp has proven to be efficient and fast for my clients' fiscalisation needs. With Roundihmp, I can complete filings quickly and accurately, ensuring timely compliance as the fiscalisation is done in real time to ZIMRA's Fiscal Management Data System (FMDS)."

ZIMRA has acknowledged challenges with its own system, the Tax and Revenue Management System (TaRMS), which launched in October 2023. The system has been plagued by slow response times and limited usability on mobile devices. In response, ZIMRA has announced plans to release a mobile app tailored to the needs of small business owners by March 2025. However, Roundihmp is already filling a critical gap in the market, providing a user-friendly and affordable solution to tax compliance headaches.

In a region where small businesses power economies yet struggle with visibility, innovations like Roundihmp suggest a path forward – one where compliance doesn't come at the cost of survival. By simplifying tax compliance, Roundihmp is helping to level the playing field for small businesses in Zimbabwe, and its impact could be felt across the region.