ZSE receives approval to launch entrepreneurship exchange
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Limited (ZSE) has received regulatory approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim) to operationalise its Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Exchange, to be branded the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX).
The approval marks a significant milestone in ZSE’s strategic drive to broaden access to capital markets and build a more inclusive financial ecosystem that supports emerging businesses.
ZEEX is an entrepreneurship-focused platform designed to unlock capital for small and medium enterprises operating in Zimbabwe’s fast-evolving economy. It is expected to provide efficient, transparent and cost-effective capital-raising and trading mechanisms tailored to the needs of growth-oriented enterprises, strengthening the country’s capital markets landscape.
The exchange will operate through two key segments. ZEEX Private Markets will facilitate structured private placements for entrepreneurs seeking pre-listing investment, offering a regulated channel for early-stage funding. ZEEX Public Markets will support the listing of securities and secondary market trading, providing SMEs with a credible pathway into public capital markets.
ZSE Holdings Group CEO Justin Bgoni said the initiative responds to the exclusion of many viable SMEs from formal financing due to structural barriers, high costs and limited access to traditional funding channels.
He said ZEEX will leverage technology to formalise capital raising, introduce structured funding options, and enhance transparency and investor protection, while promoting innovation, financial inclusion and economic formalisation.
The ZSE said it is finalising the necessary compliance frameworks ahead of operationalisation, with a formal launch date to be announced in due course.
The exchange expressed appreciation to stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, SECZim and market participants for their support in developing the platform.
