Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
[email protected]
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) Holdings Group chairman Mrs Caroline Sandura has described the newly launched Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX) as a game changer that will help close the financing gap for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), opening a new chapter in the country’s capital markets.
Speaking at the official launch of ZEEX in Bulawayo today (Friday) Mrs Sandura said the platform represented a significant milestone in expanding access to capital for entrepreneurs who have traditionally struggled to tap into formal financial markets.
She said the exchange would create opportunities for innovative businesses to secure funding while giving investors access to high-growth enterprises.
“Today is about entrepreneurs building businesses from the ground, investors searching for the next opportunity, regulators shaping the environment in which enterprises can thrive and partners who believe.
“Zimbabwe’s economic future rests on the strength of its small enterprises and growing business,” said Mrs Sandura.
She noted that Zimbabwe’s capital markets had historically been more accessible to large, established companies, leaving many promising smaller businesses without the financial instruments needed to scale up.
“Today is a significant occasion for the exchange and our capital markets.
“For years, our capital markets have been open, their doors mainly to large and already established enterprises, while the entrepreneur and the small business owner have stood outside, often out of reach of the very instruments that could accelerate their growth.
“Today, we begin to close that gap. This is our answer to a market that is most active and safe,” she said.
Mrs Sandura urged all stakeholders to play their part in ensuring the success of the new market, saying the exchange would only achieve its objectives through collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, regulators and development partners.
“Some of you will be listed on this platform while others will provide the capital that allows the small enterprise to become a large one.
“Others among you will help refine the rules, the products and the safeguards that will keep this market credible and trusted.
“Whichever role you play, the success of this will ultimately be measured by the various stakeholders present today,” she said.
Launched by ZSE Holdings, ZEEX is expected to strengthen SME participation in Zimbabwe’s capital markets in line with Government efforts to deepen financial inclusion, unlock investment opportunities and accelerate economic growth.
The platform has been established as a dedicated market that connects promising enterprises with investors, enabling high-growth businesses to raise long-term capital while promoting improved corporate governance, transparency and investor confidence.
The launch marks another milestone in the continued development of Zimbabwe’s capital markets as authorities seek to broaden financing options beyond traditional bank lending and support the growth of the country’s entrepreneurial sector.
derick.khumalo