Online Reporter
Business Reporter
THE construction of Zimswitch Technologies’ ambitious new head office complex, dubbed “Project Sunrise,” marks a pivotal moment for Zimbabwe’s financial infrastructure, Acting Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, Dr Jesimen Chipika, has said.
Zimswitch is Zimbabwe’s national electronic payments switch and the leading payments technology company in the country.
Speaking at the groundbreaking event in Harare yesterday, Dr Chipika said, “This occasion marks more than just a change in location.
“It reflects Zimswitch’s unwavering commitment, notable growth and strategic evolution in response to the fast-changing landscape of Zimbabwe’s digital payments sector.”
She emphasised Zimswitch’s critical role, stating: “As the national payment switch, you are central to the country’s financial infrastructure and this development signals your continued transformation into a mature, fully-fledged financial infrastructure provider.”
Dr Chipika underscored the project’s national significance.
“Zimswitch’s expanded capacity demonstrates your preparedness to meet demand and support the growing digital economy.”
She outlined the vision for an inclusive, secure and robust payments future, affirming, “No Zimbabwean, regardless of location or platform, should be excluded.”
She commended the investment, calling the new office “a strategic investment . . . representing a strategic investment in your systems, your people and your mission.”
Zimswitch chief executive officer Zabron Chilakalaka described the purpose-built campus, dubbed “Project Sunrise,” as “more than just a building,” embodying Zimswitch’s commitment to connecting people while giving back to the environment.
“This new office campus will be a space that enables our mission at scale, a physical embodiment of who we are and where we are going,” Mr Chilakalaka stated.
“It represents not only our organisational growth but our alignment with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2.”
He said the facility was a “bold statement of our commitment to sustainability, innovation and human-focused design,” Mr Chilakalaka emphasised.
“This new office campus reflects Zimswitch’s values . . . It’s a future-ready, environmentally conscious space designed for the people who make ZimSwitch what it is,” Mr Chilakalaka affirmed.
Mr Graham Cochrane of Architectural and Planning Studio highlighted the building’s strong Zimbabwean identity and climatic response.
“A building that’s really rooted in its Zimbabwean context . . . that was where the choice of red brick came from. Probably the biggest thing is the climatic response.
“That was the most important thing to us . . . energy is scarce here, and resources are scarce.
“We need to have buildings that run well and are sustainable.”
Acknowledging the 16-month construction programme, Mr Cochrane expressed optimism: “I really look forward to the time when we all stand up on the roof deck and admire what we’ve done.”
Zimswitch chairman Mr Wonder Nyabereka framed the development within the company’s mission: “We will continue powering progress, to drive Zimbabwe’s transformation one transaction at a time, to shape a financially inclusive future for Zimbabwe.”
He described the new headquarters as “a statement that Zimswitch is ready to lead, innovate and shape Zimbabwe’s next chapter in the digital era.”
Mr Chilakalaka thanked stakeholders and reflected on the responsibility ahead: “As we break ground today, we do so with a renewed sense of responsibility to our country, to the millions who rely on our services and to the future we are helping to create and shape.
“This new office campus will not just be a place where we operate from, it will be a place where we imagine, where we dream, where we innovate and build together.”
Construction work for Project Sunrise is now underway, with completion anticipated in late 2026, symbolising Zimswitch’s commitment to powering Zimbabwe’s digital financial future from a sustainable, innovative base.
