馃嚳馃嚰ZimbabweSouthern Africa
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and SMEDCO Collaborate to Address SME Funding Gap
via NewsDay Zimbabwe1 min read
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange ZSE and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation SMEDCO have partnered to bridge the funding gap for Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs. This collaboration aims to enhance access to finance for SMEs, which are crucial for economic growth. The initiative comes amidst various economic discussions in Zimbabwe, including the rebasing of the economy by Mthuli and rising confidence in the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange ZMX with trades reaching US$1.28 million. Other news highlights include Econet's explanation of Smart4U bundles and its Fair Usage Policy, the rebound of Zimbabwean tobacco auction prices, and Stanbic Bank's extension of US$227 million credit support to the mining sector.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
Must ReadZimbabwean news reports highlight various national issues, including the country's performance in budget transparency, economic updates such as rising confidence in the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange ZMX with trades reaching US$1.28 million, and a rebound in tobacco auction prices. The total volume for the 2025/2026 tobacco marketing season is projected to exceed 355 million kilograms. Challenges faced by ART operations, including power outages and raw material shortages, led to declines in export and paper division volumes by 6% and 26% respectively in the third quarter to June 2022. Political tensions at grasslands plots have resulted in violent attacks and forced evictions. Stanbic Bank has deepened its partnership with the mining sector, extending US$227 million in credit support. Other news covers sports, local community programs, and business expos.
Zimbabwe has achieved a strong performance in the 2025 Open Budget Survey OBS, ranking third in Sub-Saharan Africa and second in the Southern African Development Community SADC. The survey, conducted by the International Budget Partnership, evaluates countries on budget transparency, public participation, and oversight. Zimbabwe scored 62 out of 100 on the Open Budget Index OBI, surpassing the Sub-Saharan African average of 38 and the international benchmark for adequate public access to budget information. The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion attributed this success to ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing fiscal transparency, improving public access to budget information, and implementing public financial management reforms under the National Development Strategy 2 NDS2 and Vision 2030. While acknowledging progress, the government noted the need to strengthen public participation in the budget process. To address this, nationwide budget consultations for the 2027 National Budget are planned between July and December next year, inviting input from citizens, civil society organizations, and various community representatives. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube reaffirmed the government's commitment to deepening transparency and citizen engagement. The Ministry also recognized the contributions of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Office of the Auditor-General, UNICEF, and the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in advancing these refo
Must ReadART, a manufacturer, reported a decline in export and paper division volumes by 6% and 26% respectively, during the third quarter ending June 2022. This downturn was attributed to power outages and shortages of raw materials.