The company allows you to sell your old cell phone through the secure Zwipit.co.za website and it will arrange for courier company to collect your old phone at no additional cost. "The courier can reach any part of South Africa but rural areas may take a little longer to commute to," explained Nothando Moleketi, Zwipit South Africa's executive of marketing and operations.
How it works
The company categorises phones in three categories: 'as good as new', 'working' or 'broken'. 'As good as new' means that the phone looks pristine whereas 'working' phones will have the usual wear and tear markings it. Broken phones are accepted too but they may not be water damaged and have the capability to be switched on and off.
"If customers are uncertain about whether phones can be switched on or off we are able to test that," added Moleketi.
Once you have found your phone on the website you need to answer some simple questions such as whether the phone is water damaged and if it is stolen. Once you have selected the condition of the phone, the amount that the company is willing to give you for the phone will be displayed. Once the transaction has been accepted the cash will be deposited into your chosen bank account or credit card within a maximum of 10 working days.
Not all phones are accepted
Unfortunately not all phones will be snapped up by Zwipit. Vintage or retro phones, such as the Nokia 8210, that have recently become popular items and that fetch as much as R13,854 online are currently not being accepted by Zwipit.
Moleketi explained that the company has a list of over 1,000 phones that it will accept listed on its website and that sellers can search on the site to find out if their old phone will be accepted. "We will accept feature phones, smart phones and tablets," said Moleketi.
Zwipit is in the first phase of its launch which means that at this stage it is only buying phones to repurpose them. The company has not yet launched phase two where it plans to sell repurposed phones directly through retailers or through its e-commerce store directly to the public. "We are currently in discussions with a number of retailers," said Felix Martin-Aguilar, Zwipit South Africa's managing director.
What you could sell your phone for
Justmoney used the Zwipit tool to find out how much some phones could be sold for. Here's the results of five cell phones:
| Cell phone type | Good as new | Working | Broken |
| Apple iPhone 5S 64Gb | R4,122.30 | R2,184 | R873.60 |
| Blackberry 9720 | R232.05 | R218.40 | R87.36 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini G800 | R1,774.50 | R1,665.30 | R666.12 |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | R969.15 | R914.55 | R365.82 |
| Sony Ericsson g700 | R27.30 | R27.30 | R10.92 |
Table correct as at 26 November, 2014. For more information, visit: www.zwipit.co.za.