Online Reporter
Online Reporter
Zimbabwe is approaching a major milestone in its financial sector, with the Financial Securities Exchange (FINSEC) preparing to roll out the country’s first regulated platform for tokenised assets.
While the launch of such a market represents a breakthrough for modern capital formation, the bigger question is whether the supporting systems, especially payments, are ready to move at the speed this new economy demands.
That is where Kuva.com believes it can make a difference.
Kuva.com Chief Financial Officer, Mr Georgios Giannoukakos, said tokenisation could unlock a new era for Zimbabwe’s capital markets, provided the financial infrastructure around it is built to match the technology.
“Tokenisation offers a transformative opportunity for Zimbabwe’s capital markets. By converting ownership rights in physical assets into digital tokens, FINSEC’s new private-permissioned blockchain platform opens the door to fractional ownership and improved liquidity in areas that have historically been difficult to access, such as real estate and infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Giannoukakos said the promise of tokenised assets is not confined to an idea on paper.
He said the FINSEC framework is designed to support the full lifecycle of tokenised assets, from issuance through to settlement.
“This is not a theoretical exercise. Through the authorisation of FINSEC under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim) regulatory sandbox, the platform is positioned to support the full lifecycle from issuance to settlement, helping build a credible ecosystem for real economic assets,” he said.
Mr Giannoukakos stressed that tokenisation can only deliver meaningful outcomes if it is paired with efficient payment rails that connect digital tokens to fiat currency.
“A tokenised asset market only thrives when there is a seamless bridge between digital tokens and real money,” he said. “Investors need to move funds in and out quickly, transparently and with low friction.
“Unfortunately, older correspondent banking models are often not designed for the real-time nature of programmable finance.”
Kuva.com, he added, has positioned itself to address this gap.
Mr Giannoukakos explained that Kuva.com was originally conceived as a peer-to-peer crypto solution aimed at easing the effects of previous hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
Over time, the company has matured into a business-to-business fintech provider focused on building infrastructure for regulated markets.
“We are proud to say Kuva.com is stepping up to fill this critical gap,” he said. “We have evolved into a sophisticated B2B fintech provider, and our strategy is to become the ‘architect of digital payment highways’, the backend infrastructure that financial institutions need to launch modern services.”
Mr Giannoukakos said as tokenised markets take shape, Kuva.com will deploy enterprise-grade blockchain payment rails to support the movement of value between investors and exchanges.
“As this innovation rolls out, Kuva.com will deploy enterprise-Grade Blockchain Payment Rails. We specialise in delivering tailored, reliable and cost-effective blockchain-based payment rails designed for instant peer-to-peer and peer-to-business cross-border payments and settlements. That is the kind of infrastructure tokenised asset markets need to function smoothly,” he said.
Kuva.com, according to Mr Giannoukakos, intends to operate not as a disruptor, but as a partner within Zimbabwe’s financial regulatory environment.
“Kuva positions itself as a backend partner to established financial institutions,” he said. “Instead of trying to replace banks, we build the technical layers that allow banks to offer digital services such as the ZikiCash app developed in partnership with CBZ Bank.
“This collaborative approach is essential for operating within the regulatory frameworks created by bodies such as SECZim and FINSEC.”
Mr Giannoukakos noted that Kuva’s relevance to the tokenisation journey is grounded in real execution, citing the company’s work with ZikiCash as a trusted channel for diaspora remittances.
“Our experience with solutions like ZikiCash is now being replicated across other financial institutions throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” he said.
“As FINSEC looks to attract both local and diaspora investment into tokenised assets, Kuva’s established network and operational expertise offer a strong advantage.”
Ultimately, Mr Giannoukakos said Kuva’s mission is to ensure that tokenisation does more than create digital representations, it must connect real-world assets to usable liquidity for everyday investors.
“Kuva’s mission is to build the payment engine that powers the ‘real money’ and ‘real dollars’ moving within these digital systems,” he said.
“This is the final piece of the puzzle, ensuring that the benefits of tokenisation reach more people, not just institutions.”
Zimbabwe’s capital markets appear ready to move from analogue systems to digital ecosystems.
FINSEC will provide the structure for regulated tokenised trading, while Kuva.com aims to provide the critical circulatory system payment infrastructure capable of supporting fast, transparent settlement in a tokenised world.
As the country embraces digital finance, those building the rails that make the system work will play a defining role in shaping what comes next.
Kuva.com, according to Mr Giannoukakos, is already laying those rails for Zimbabwe and beyond.
