Zimre Holdings Limited (ZHL) says it will accelerate expansion into new African markets in 2026, while establishing a training academy to develop insurance and financial services skills needed to support its regional growth strategy.
The diversified financial services group said the next phase of its growth would be driven by its reinsurance business as it seeks to deepen its footprint beyond its existing regional operations.
Board chairman Desmond Matete said the group had completed a five-year period focused on strengthening governance, capital allocation and operational systems, positioning it for expansion across the continent.
“The Group entered 2026 with strengthened fundamentals and a clear strategic mandate following a five-year period marked by consolidation, institutional strengthening, and the embedding of robust systems and structures across all the Group business lines,” Matete said in the company’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2025.
“Having stabilised its operational base and enhanced its governance, risk management and capital allocation frameworks, ZHL is now poised for a new phase of disciplined, regionally focused expansion into carefully selected continental markets.”
He said reinsurance would anchor the expansion programme because it provides the scale needed to support the group’s interests in property, infrastructure and wealth management.
“With a proven track record of regional expansion, ZHL is uniquely positioned to leverage its intellectual capital, technical depth, strengthened balance sheet and long-standing market relationships to drive this next stage of growth,” Matete said.
The group also plans to strengthen customer service through investment in digital platforms and artificial intelligence while targeting underserved markets.
Matete said the company would modernise customer-facing systems to improve access to its products and services, adding that AI adoption would comply with data protection and privacy laws.
He said another priority would be the establishment of the ZHL Academy, which will serve both employees and the broader insurance industry.
“In support of this tradition, the Group is set to establish the ZHL Academy, an institution to facilitate the Group’s commitment to democratising access to knowledge in its areas of expertise,” he said.
Matete said the academy would equip employees with skills required for the group’s continental expansion while providing external professional training aligned with Sustainable Development Goal Four on quality education.
ZHL operates businesses spanning life assurance, short-term insurance, reinsurance, healthcare, property, wealth management and financial services across Zimbabwe and several regional markets, including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
The group is also pursuing opportunities in other African markets as part of its long-term strategy to become a recognised pan-African financial services brand.