Online Reporter
Business Reporter
NEWLY-APPOINTED board chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim), Dakshesh Patel, will be among a senior delegation alongside Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) CEO Justin Bgoni at the African Capital Markets Investment Conference (ACMIC) in London next month, as Harare moves to rebuild international investor confidence amid global market turbulence.
The three-day summit, opening 15 April at 99 Bishopsgate, will see Mr Patel – who recently took the helm at Zimbabwe’s securities regulator – join Mr Bgoni, the long-standing ZSE chief executive, in a concerted push to attract foreign portfolio flows back to the southern African nation.
Their attendance complements a high-level Government presence including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, as well as officials from the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX). The collective Zimbabwean showing underscores a unified political, regulatory and exchange-led effort to market the country’s capital markets as a resilient option for global investors rattled by geopolitical instability.
Mr Patel’s appointment as SECZim board chairman comes at a critical juncture, with the regulator under pressure to enhance transparency, strengthen investor protections and align local rules with international best practice. His presence signals board-level commitment to reform.
Alongside him, Mr Bgoni – a veteran of Zimbabwe’s financial markets who has led the ZSE for several years – will present the exchange’s recent performance and future strategy. Their joint appearance is designed to demonstrate continuity and credibility to institutional investors who have historically been wary of Zimbabwe’s policy environment.
ACMIC, headlined by Old Mutual Zimbabwe, takes place against a backdrop of heightened volatility in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australian markets, driven by the Middle East conflict, shifting monetary policies and disrupted energy trade.
Organisers argue that African exchanges – including the VFEX – have shown relative stability, low correlation with developed markets, and rising turnover, making them attractive diversification tools.
“African capital markets are emerging as resilient and increasingly attractive investment destinations,” Financial Markets Indaba (FMI), the conference organiser, said in a statement. “Exchanges such as the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange have recorded improvements in turnover, rising index performance and increased investor participation.”
The VFEX, Zimbabwe’s offshore-denominated exchange launched in 2020, is expected to feature prominently in investment pitches. It has recorded growing investor participation and product innovation, offering access in United States dollars – a critical advantage for foreign institutions wary of currency risk.
Alongside the Zimbabwean delegation, African regulators from Ghana and Nigeria will attend, as will continental bodies including the African Securities and Exchanges Association and the Committee of SADC Stock Exchanges.
From the United Kingdom, the Department for Business and Trade, the London Stock Exchange and the UK Endorsement Board will provide perspectives on capital flows and regulatory alignment, reinforcing London’s role as a gateway for emerging market finance.
The conference programme combines stock exchange presentations, listed company investment pitches, diaspora-focused sessions and pre-arranged business-to-business meetings.
For Mr Patel, in his new capacity as SECZim board chairman, ACMIC represents an early test of international confidence. Alongside Mr Bgoni and the wider Zimbabwean delegation, he will seek to convince global investors that recent governance improvements and market reforms have made Zimbabwean capital markets more investable.
FMI, a unit of Emergent Capital Management Ltd, has hosted over 80 high-level investor events globally in the past 12 years.
ACMIC runs from 15–17 April at 99 Bishopsgate, London. Registration is open via the official conference platform.
