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YOU PUT IN
DEEP DIVE DATAINTERACTIVE PRODUCT TEARDOWN
OmariSave looks simpleon the surface.
US$20
FUND MINIMUM
12%+
HEADLINE YIELD
1.8%
FEES P.A.
SWIPE TO READ ›
THE PITCH VS THE PAPERWORK
The ad says US$10, 12%+, easy access. The fund documents say something more layered: fund units, fees, tax, a lock-up, and a withdrawal delay.
Adjust the calculator later in this story. It's built from the actual monthly yield figures in the Old Mutual fund documents, with fees and withholding tax layered in — so the number you see is closer to what you'd actually keep.
$10 is not the full story. The fund's own documents put the minimum initial deposit at US$20, with top-ups from US$10. Something sits between the user and the fund — most likely pooling many small accounts to meet that threshold.
HOW IT PROBABLY WORKS
Five layers between you and the yield
- User deposits money into the Omari app.
- OmariSave holds those deposits and routes them as a pooled investment.
- Money is invested in the Old Mutual USD Money Market Fund.
- Old Mutual deploys capital into local USD money market instruments.
- Yield, fees, taxes and withdrawal rules flow back up to the user.
WHAT THE FACT SHEET SAYS
The terms behind the 12%
| Minimum initial deposit | US$20 |
| Minimum top-up | US$10 |
| Management fee | 1.50% p.a. |
| Other charges | 0.30% p.a. |
| Minimum holding period | 30 days |
| Withdrawal processing | up to 14 days |
In the worst case, getting your money out could take several weeks after the 30-day lock-up ends — and returns "are not guaranteed," per the fund's own documents.
TRY IT · YOUR PROJECTED RETURN
What would your money look like?
Start date
End date
Initial depositUS$100
Monthly top-upUS$0
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GROSS VALUE (BEFORE WHT)
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EST. FEES PAID
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NET TAKE-HOME
TRY IT · RETURN BREAKDOWN
Where the yield actually goes
Gross interest earned—
Management fee (1.50% p.a.)—
Other charges (0.30% p.a.)—
Net interest (after fees)—
Withholding tax (15%)—
Net return to you—
Based on actual Old Mutual USD Money Market Fund monthly yields, Jan 2022 – Sept 2025. Illustrative, not exact — the actual Omari wrapper logic and tax treatment may differ.
TRY IT · WHAT THE WRAPPER HIDES
Same numbers, as shares of the pie
SIGNAL
12% is not guaranteed
The marketing leads with 12%+. The fund documents say returns are not guaranteed and past performance does not predict future results. In early 2022 the monthly yield was as low as 0.40%. The yield moves with market interest rates — when rates fall, so does the return. Scroll back to the calculator and try January 2022 as a start date.
THE RISKS UNDERNEATH
Four things a USD label doesn't fix
- Liquidity risk — large withdrawal requests put pressure on the fund; when many investors want out at once, processing slows down.
- Credit risk — the fund invests in instruments issued by banks and government entities; if an issuer runs into trouble, the fund carries that exposure.
- Currency / regulatory risk — the account is in USD, but the investments stay in Zimbabwe; local rules around currency access still apply.
- Inflation risk — even a 12% USD return may not protect purchasing power if the cost of things you need rises faster.
WHAT TO KNOW
Five things the ads leave out
- It is not a savings wallet — your money goes into a money market fund, which makes this an investment, not a savings account.
- The 12% is the current rate, not a promise — it reflects recent conditions, not a guaranteed future number.
- There are two waiting periods, not one — a 30-day minimum holding period, then up to 14 working days to process a withdrawal.
- Fees come off every year regardless of performance — on a 13% gross yield, roughly one in seven dollars of earnings goes to fees before tax.
- The investments stay in Zimbabwe — the USD denomination reduces currency risk, but the underlying exposure to the local financial system remains.
ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION
How the $10 minimum might work
The Old Mutual fund's minimum is higher than US$10. The most likely answer is pooling — instead of sending each user's deposit to the fund separately, Omari likely collects deposits until the combined total is large enough to invest as one. Each user sees their own balance in the app; the fund likely sees only Omari as the single investor.
This model is common in fintech — Apple Savings, PayPal savings, Revolut interest and Robinhood cash all package a traditional financial product inside a simpler consumer front end. The branding differs; the underlying model is the same.
OBSERVATION
A useful way to think about it
Rather than a simple wallet feature, the product may be closer to a mobile gateway to an investment fund, presented through a wallet interface. That structure can lower the barrier to investing. It also means the product is more complex underneath than it appears on the surface.
THE BOTTOM LINE
$10
IN THE AD
Does not mean instant, guaranteed, or fee-free.
A better description: a mobile interface for an Old Mutual unit trust, packaged to feel like a savings wallet.
That is not a bad thing. But it is a different thing — and the calculator above shows what it actually costs.
END OF STORY
Deep Dive Data covers Zimbabwe's fintech products and the fine print behind them.
Based on actual Old Mutual USD Money Market Fund monthly yields (Jan 2022 – Sept 2025). Fees per fact sheet: 1.50% + 0.30% p.a. (excl. VAT). Withholding tax 15% on net interest per investor account. Past performance is not indicative of future results.