Be sure to network at the Investor Forum
Batanai Matsika
State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have a long history of providing essential infrastructure, goods and services across different economic sectors in Zimbabwe.
At their peak, state-owned parastatals were the engine of the Zimbabwean economy with a combined contribution of around 40% to gross domestic product (GDP).
Historically, these companies have raised funds directly from governments, or with the benefit of government guarantees. However, state-owned enterprises are increasingly accessing commercial financing that is not backed by any sovereign guarantee, which puts private or bond investors at risk.
It should also be stressed that achieving significant growth across the economy will require high levels of investment flows into Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, one of the main problems faced by individuals, households and small and medium enterprises in Zimbabwe is financial exclusion and a low savings rate.
This is of course largely due to low levels of financial literacy, among many other factors.
According to the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) Economic Bulletin, Zimbabwe’s savings rate as a percentage of GDP is estimated at 10%, showing that there is a low savings culture in the country. .
Of Zimbabwe’s estimated 15 million people, only 20,000 are active investors (which is less than half a percent). Another important point to note is the issue of income disparity, which is global, ie not specific to Zimbabwe.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report, the risk most likely to manifest over the next 10 years is severe income disparity.
It should be emphasized that human capital is the main contributor to income inequality. Wealthy people generally have access to a good education, which means they have a better chance of getting the best jobs.
With a good education also comes exposure to financial and investment information. It’s a fact that many people struggle with how to manage their personal finances, reduce debt, invest in the stock market, and even plan for retirement.
The Zimbabwe Independent (Zimind Publishers) in partnership with PiggyBankAdvisor will hold its first annual Investor Forum at the Harare International Conference Center (HICC) on August 24, 2022 on the theme “Long Term Sustainable Investment Options”.
The forum is aimed at policymakers, parastatals, insurance companies, individuals, development finance institutions and financial service providers.
The objective of the forum is to improve options for investing in public services, levels of financial literacy while increasing the participation of individuals in local and global investment markets.
The forum will also cover the economy, parastatal reforms and corporate governance in the public sector, stock market investments and personal finance issues.
The Investors Forum will be the largest annual event bringing together investors, accountancy firms, financial service providers, regulators and pension funds in Zimbabwe.
The Forum will also be fully focused on bringing together business leaders, investors and C-level investment companies and showcase investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Networking and targeted meetings at the forum will provide an unparalleled opportunity to discover and develop a strong network of the highest quality business leaders.
Additionally, there will be specific targeted sessions featuring new investment products and an overview of investment opportunities. The main areas of intervention to be covered by the Forum are:
Economic and Investment Outlook
The Chinese investment philosophy in Zimbabwe
Gold Coins and Value Preservation Strategies
Investment: Privatize or not?
Reforming Zimbabwe’s parastatals and state-owned enterprises
Innovative Investment Options in Utilities
Corruption and corporate governance issues in the public sector
Derivatives and cryptocurrencies
Art as an alternative investment option
Exchange Traded Funds and Real Estate Investment Trusts
The Investing 101 Handbook
Invest and trade on the ZSE, FINSEC and VFEX
The Zimbabwe Annual Investor Forum 2022 will recognize individuals and companies that have been instrumental in promoting domestic and international investment flows into the country.
The event is expected to attract delegates from different spheres of the economy and this should include policy makers, parastatal executives, insurance companies, pension fund managers, local authority executives, financing institutions development, private equity investors, lawyers, bankers, property developers, regulators and academia. For registrations, sponsorships and exhibits, email events@alphamedia.co.zw or call +263 773 417 267/+263 78 358 4745.
- Matsika is head of research at Morgan & Co and founder of piggybankadvisor.com. — batanai@morganzim.com / batanai@piggybankadvisor.com or mobile: +263 783 584 745.
