Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – A new stock exchange, primarily focused on small and medium size businesses, is expected to be launched in Bulawayo on Friday, the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) has said.
The Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX) is a vehicle designed specifically to help small businesses, which often have limited access to capital, attract both investors and fresh capital to grow.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Prof. Mthuli Ncube is expected to officially launch the exchange, which will be based in Bulawayo.
The platform will offer efficient, transparent and cost-effective capital-raising services tailored to the needs of emerging businesses.
The ZSE said the initiative marked a significant milestone in the evolution of Zimbabwe’s capital markets by creating new funding avenues for small growth-oriented enterprises that have traditionally struggled to secure long-term financing.
The exchange will operate through two market segments — ZEEX Private Markets and ZEEX Public Markets.
ZEEX Private Markets will facilitate capital raising through structured private placements, providing entrepreneurs and businesses seeking pre-public investment with access to a regulated fundraising platform before they transition to the public market.
It will provide investors with opportunities to participate in Zimbabwe’s growing SME sector, and at the same time promote transparency, investor confidence and improved corporate governance among participating enterprises.
Plans to establish an SME-focused exchange have been under consideration for close to a decade.
Earlier this year, Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Holdings, which owns both the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and the United States dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, said the time was ripe to introduce an exchange to enable SMEs to access funding on capital markets.
The initiative also aligns with government’s broader strategy to improve access to long-term finance for small businesses.
Presenting the 2026 National Budget, Prof Ncube acknowledged that SMEs had limited opportunities to raise long-term capital and announced government’s intention to bridge that gap through the establishment of an SME Exchange.
Over the years, Zimbabwe’s informal sector has grown into a major pillar of the economy, contributing significantly to Gross Domestic Product and employment.
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