Harare – Zimbabwe’s newly gazetted Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment (Foreign Participation in Reserved Sectors) Regulations, 2025 (Statutory Instrument 215 of 2025) will take centre stage at a high-level industry forum scheduled for 5 March 2026, as policymakers and business leaders seek clarity on the operational impact of the new framework.
The executive breakfast meeting, convened by the Indigenous Advisory Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe (IAPAZ), will be held at Rainbow Towers Hotel where the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mangaliso Ndhlovu will be guest of honor.
The gathering is expected to bring together senior Government officials, regulators, investors and professional advisors to interrogate the practical implications of the revised regulations within Zimbabwe’s evolving investment landscape.
Gazetted in 2025, Statutory Instrument 215 introduces revised thresholds governing foreign participation in sectors reserved under Zimbabwe’s indigenisation framework.
It also outlines divestment timelines and compliance obligations, signalling what analysts describe as a recalibration of empowerment policy in line with broader economic reform and investment attraction efforts.
IAPAZ Secretary General Mr Last Matema said the forum aims to promote what he termed “effective, coordinated and investment-sensitive implementation” of the instrument.
He noted that the objectives underpinning SI 215 are aligned with Zimbabwe’s development trajectory under National Development Strategy 1 and the anticipated transition to National Development Strategy 2.
“There is a need for an organised, high-level platform to clarify policy intent and practical implementation expectations,” Mr Matema said. “Constructive dialogue between regulators and market participants is essential to safeguarding investor confidence while advancing national empowerment objectives.”
The programme will feature a keynote address by the Minister, followed by moderated panel discussions and technical regulatory clinics designed to provide practical guidance on compliance frameworks, investment structuring and localisation models under the new rules.
The forum comes at a time of heightened interest from both local and international investors seeking certainty on the operational mechanics of Zimbabwe’s revised empowerment regime.
Stakeholders anticipate that the deliberations could help foster a more predictable compliance environment and support the development of structured, policy-aligned empowerment models.