ZSE and NVCCZ Join Forces to Open Capital Markets to Start-ups and SMEs

The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange has entered into a formal partnership with the National Venture Capital Company of Zimbabwe to help promising start-ups and small businesses access funding through a planned new trading platform called the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange, or ZEEX.

The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding last Thursday, aiming to connect Zimbabwe’s venture capital world with its broader capital markets — two sectors that have largely operated independently of each other until now.

Through the agreement, businesses already backed by NVCCZ will have a structured route to eventually raise funds publicly via ZEEX, which is set to be a regulated digital marketplace offering various investment instruments to growing businesses.

The partnership will see both organisations working together to identify venture-funded companies ready to list on ZEEX, subject to meeting governance and financial reporting standards.

They also plan to co-develop financing structures, run capacity-building programmes, raise investor awareness and design new financial products suited to emerging businesses.

ZSE Holdings Group CEO Justin Bgoni described the deal as a deliberate move to bridge a gap that has long held back Zimbabwean entrepreneurs. NVCCZ CEO Tinotenda Kambasha added that the partnership would also give venture investors a viable exit route, freeing up capital to be reinvested into new enterprises.

The ZSE has been steadily building partnerships ahead of the ZEEX launch, having recently struck similar deals with organisations including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation.