The inaugural Zimbabwe Future Capital Forum (ZFCF) will be held in Harare next month as organisers seek to connect investors with bankable projects and unlock new sources of capital for businesses.
The forum – to run alongside the sixth ZimReal Property Investment Forum on 26 August – and is expected to attract more than 400 delegates representing over 100 local, regional and international companies.
Organised by API Events, the gathering will bring together pension funds, banks, private equity firms, stock exchanges, asset managers and property developers to explore investment opportunities and facilitate deal-making.
The event comes as Zimbabwe’s capital markets continue to evolve following reforms introduced over the past two years, including relaxed listing requirements, the introduction of green and sustainability bonds, and the establishment of specialised investment vehicles.
“Zimbabwe’s capital markets have just been through arguably their most significant reset in a generation. Over the past two years, the ecosystem and the infrastructure have been built,” API Events commercial director Murray Anderson said.
“But reform only matters if it reaches the market, and that is the purpose behind the ZFCF. The capital exists and the products are finally here; this forum is where they meet.”
The combined market capitalisation of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange now exceeds US$7 billion, with the US dollar-denominated VFEX accounting for about US$3,8 billion across 19 listed companies.
Insurance and Pensions Commission data shows Zimbabwe’s pension industry held assets worth about US$2,63 billion at mid-2025, providing a significant pool of long-term capital for productive investment.
Investor Hosting Centre general manager Benedict Chisale said the country’s challenge was not a shortage of capital but a shortage of investment-ready projects.
“Zimbabwe does not have a capital shortage; it has a bankability challenge. The winners in this new era will not simply be those with capital, but those who can structure investable opportunities that inspire investor confidence,” Chisale said.
The forum will examine ways of mobilising pension capital, private equity and alternative financing to support business growth, while the parallel ZimReal Property Investment Forum will focus on listed property, green buildings and artificial intelligence-driven opportunities in the real estate sector.
Listed real estate investment trusts, including Tigere, Revitus, Eagle and Pfuma, now have a combined market capitalisation exceeding US$100 million, reflecting growing investor appetite for property-backed investment vehicles.