Online Reporter
Business Reporter
FARMERS have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the national collateral registry system, with the platform proving to be a game-changer for those who previously struggled to access bank loans due to the lack of traditional security.
Since its establishment, the registry has enabled farmers to pledge movable assets, including livestock such as cattle and goats, farming equipment, vehicles and harvested crops, which has seen lenders extending credit to rural enterprises previously excluded from formal financing.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) deputy governor, Dr Jesimen Chipika, said the system was beginning to deliver the rural-centred financial inclusion the country has been targeting.
“For years, farmers were excluded from productive lending because they did not have title deeds. The collateral registry is correcting that historical imbalance. Now a farmer’s livestock, equipment or harvest is recognised as bankable security,” she said.
Dr Chipika noted that the registry had helped farmers unlock working capital for inputs, mechanisation and expansion at a time when agriculture remains central to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation and rural livelihoods.
She said the platform supports the national goal of building resilient, sustainable rural economies under the National Development Strategy (NDS1 and NDS2).
“Our data show that farmers are actively using the system. The benefits are real, improved access to credit, better financial discipline and stronger integration of rural communities into the formal economy,” Dr Chipika said.
According to the RBZ’s latest financial inclusion review, the collateral registry recorded strong participation from agricultural borrowers as of September 30, 2025. Farmers pledged a wide range of movable assets, with livestock, tractors, ploughs, irrigation equipment and harvested commodities dominating registrations.
