BULAWAYO’S emerging industries and those in the surrounding regions are set for a major capital boost when the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX) set to be launched in the city today, starts operating.
The SME-focused bourse will unlock new capital-raising opportunities for small and medium enterprises and position Bulawayo as the headquarters of a new entrepreneurship-focused capital market platform.
The new exchange is expected to provide an alternative funding platform for SMEs, a sector that dominates the city’s economic landscape.
Bulawayo City Council economic development manager Mr Kholisani Moyo said the establishment of ZEEX will significantly benefit the city’s business community while reinforcing Bulawayo’s position as Zimbabwe’s industrial hub.
Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, Mr Moyo said the exchange will enable SMEs to access capital through the country’s capital markets, creating fresh opportunities for business expansion and industrial growth.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim) recently approved the launch of the SME-focused exchange, which is expected to broaden access to investment capital while deepening the country’s financial markets.
Mr Moyo said ZEEX will provide Bulawayo’s SMEs with an opportunity to access long-term capital that has traditionally been beyond the reach of many growing businesses.
“One exciting aspect we are going to witness in this quarter is the capital markets.
“This Friday (today) the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange will be coming to Bulawayo to launch the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX), where the SMEs sector, which is dominating the economy of Bulawayo, will now have the opportunity of raising capital from the stock exchange,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the establishment of the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), Mr Moyo said ZEEX had the potential to transform Bulawayo’s industrial landscape by supporting emerging businesses.
“We saw the impact of the stock exchange when the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange was launched and we expect them same to happen here,” he said.
According to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, ZEEX has been designed as an entrepreneurship-focused platform aimed at helping small and medium enterprises raise capital and access investment opportunities in a regulated market environment.
The platform will offer efficient, transparent and cost-effective capital-raising and trading mechanisms tailored to the needs of emerging businesses.
ZSE said the initiative marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Zimbabwe’s capital markets by creating new funding avenues for entrepreneurs and growth-oriented enterprises that have traditionally struggled to secure long-term financing.
The exchange will operate through two market segments — ZEEX Private Markets and ZEEX Public Markets.
ZEEX Private Markets will facilitate capital raising through structured private placements, providing entrepreneurs and businesses seeking pre-public investment with access to a regulated fundraising platform before they transition to the public market.
ZEEX is also expected to provide investors with opportunities to participate in Zimbabwe’s growing SME sector while promoting transparency, investor confidence and improved corporate governance among participating enterprises.
Plans to establish an SME-focused exchange have been under consideration for close to a decade.
Earlier this year, Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Holdings (ZSEH), which owns both the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and the United States dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, said the time was ripe to introduce an alternative exchange that would enable SMEs to access funding through the country’s capital markets.
The initiative also aligns with the Government’s broader strategy to improve access to long-term finance for small businesses.
Presenting the 2026 National Budget, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube acknowledged that SMEs had limited opportunities to raise long-term capital and announced the Government’s intention to bridge that gap through the establishment of an SMEs Exchange.
Over the years, Zimbabwe’s informal sector has grown into a major pillar of the economy, contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employment.
Industry players have long argued that the creation of a junior exchange would enable promising enterprises to raise equity capital, accelerate business growth and ultimately transition into larger corporates capable of contributing more meaningfully to economic development.
Economist Ms Alice Chikonzo hailed the establishment of the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX) as a game changer for the country’s small and medium enterprise sector, saying it addresses one of the biggest constraints facing emerging businesses — access to long-term capital.
“The establishment of ZEEX is a landmark development for Zimbabwe’s entrepreneurial ecosystem because it creates a dedicated and regulated platform through which SMEs can raise capital for growth.
“For many years, promising businesses have relied on expensive short-term borrowing or personal savings, which has limited their ability to expand. This exchange has the potential to fundamentally change that trajectory,” she said.
Ms Chikonzo said locating the headquarters in Bulawayo was strategically important as the city remains Zimbabwe’s industrial hub with a growing base of innovative enterprises that require affordable capital to scale up.
“Bulawayo’s emerging industries and those in the surrounding regions stand to benefit immensely from this initiative. Beyond providing access to finance, the exchange will encourage better corporate governance, improve investor confidence and enable high-potential enterprises to transition into larger, more competitive businesses.
“In the long run, this will stimulate industrialisation, create jobs and strengthen regional economic development,” she said.-herald
