SECZim’s Acting CEO, Grace Berejena
By Wallace Mawire
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim) has taken another step towards harnessing homegrown technological talent to enhance capital market regulation.
At an event held from 1 to 2 December 2025 in Harare, the Commission hosted the prototype demonstrations phase of the inaugural Universities’ Competition for the Development of Capital Market Regulatory ICT Systems.
The event saw participating university teams showcase their innovative solutions before an expert panel of assessors. This competition is a strategic initiative to engage Zimbabwe’s academic sector in developing specialised systems that address real-world challenges in market supervision. The initiative closely aligns with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) objective of promoting a knowledge-driven, digital economy.
Six universities initially registered for the competition following detailed requirements specification workshops hosted by SECZim. Four tertiary education institutions, namely the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Midlands State University (MSU), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) successfully developed and submitted prototypes for Prudential and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Risk-Based Supervision (RBS) systems. These systems automate the analysis of large market data to reduce systemic risk, promote market integrity and prevent financial crime.
A high-level panel of judges, which included officers from the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, evaluated live demonstrations. Submissions were assessed on innovation, functionality, scalability, usability and potential impact on capital markets regulation. The panel now has up to two weeks to complete systems evaluations before the winning teams are announced.
The competition addresses a critical need for advanced technological tools to enable real-time, effective supervision of capital market intermediaries. The requirements for the prototypes were meticulously defined by SECZim to solve specific regulatory challenges, moving the Commission towards a more proactive, risk-based supervisory approach.
Winning universities in each prototype category will receive prize money and may be engaged by SECZim for the full-scale development and implementation of the RBS systems. This presents a significant opportunity for academia to transition innovative concepts into tangible systems that will shape the future of capital market regulation in Zimbabwe.
The Commission applauds all participating universities for their dedication and innovative spirit, which marks a significant stride in fostering collaborative solutions between regulators and academia for a more efficient and transparent capital market.
Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim), is a statutory body, established in terms of section 3 of the Securities and Exchange Act [Chapter 24:25], to regulate the capital markets and provide investor protection. The Commission’s main thrust is to encourage the development of a free, fair, efficient, transparent, and orderly capital market. The Commission reports directly to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. SECZim oversees over 200 capital markets intermediaries and collective investment schemes.