Audrey Galawu—Assistant Editor
In a recent LinkedIn post, entrepreneur John Kourkoutas—who relocated from the UK—paints Zimbabwe as a “massive potential” market.
His positive tone does not advocate rose-tinted views, declaring this MBA-like environment is “ripe for growth” with strategic partnerships and patient capital offering skies-without-limits opportunities.
“Zimbabwe doesn’t often make the shortlist when companies consider expanding into Africa. But that might be a mistake. Yes, it’s a complex market. But it’s also one where resilience isn't just a buzzword; it's a way of life. Entrepreneurs here operate in some of the most adaptive, resourceful ways I’ve seen anywhere,” wrote Kourkoutas.
“If you're building for Africa and overlooking Zimbabwe, ask yourself: are you chasing comfort or growth?” he challenged.
Kourkoutas was one of the speakers at the Invest in Africa Summit 2025 held at The Hague in April this year. A frequent commentator on Africa's burgeoning markets, investment flows, and intercontinental collaboration, Kourkoutas brings a distinct perspective shaped by his core beliefs.
His work underscores the necessity of cross-cultural competence and long-term investment horizons, arguing that genuine success requires businesses to fundamentally adapt their strategies to local conditions.
Kourkoutas invited perspectives on his post. Several professionals from within and outside Zimbabwe reacted with mixed views.
International Perspectives
• Tichaona Maphosa spoke of a “no-head-in-the-sand” assessment, noting Zimbabwe’s strengths in infrastructure, education, health, and tourism—leveraging institutional memory and benefiting from free-trade reforms.
• Farhia Noor, a global consultant, tempered the enthusiasm by warning against romanticizing resilience. She urged investors to avoid political instability, financial exclusion, and speculative approaches that could see “patient capital” slip into neo-extraction. Noor stressed solid investment must “enable transformation” through solidarity and respect for local sovereignty.
• Louis John Herbst emphasized Zimbabwe’s pivot toward sustainability and circular economy—highlighting renewable energy, recycling, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly manufacturing as key avenues. Patience and local collaboration were identified as success factors.
Objective Identification of Improvement Areas
While the sentiments are mostly constructive, commentators pointed to persistent challenges:
Currency volatility & inflation risk—Zimbabwe’s currency instability necessitates creative hedging strategies for both short- and long-term investments.
Political and policy unpredictability—Some highlighted systemic issues such as policy instability and brain drain; several reports mirror this, citing investor complaints over unpredictability and regulatory inconsistency.
Risk of neo-colonial investment—There are anxieties around “patient capital” serving foreign agendas over development—necessitating transparent, locally empowering structures.
Operational inefficiencies in capital markets—local investors still face manual settlements, delayed share transfers, and limited digital access to trading—all flagged as friction points.
Work in progress
In his post, Kourkoutas pointed out some changes going on within the Zimbabwe investment environment:
-Digital adoption is accelerating, especially in mobile money and fintech.
-Diaspora-fueled innovation is creating new channels of investment and entrepreneurship.
-Youth-led enterprises are shifting the culture from survival to strategy.
On February 28, 2024, ZIDA announced new efforts to operationalize the Investor Grievance Response Mechanism under SI 227 of 2023. This provides a platform for early-stage dispute resolution with government departments—aiming to prevent escalation and signal reliability to foreign investors.
Investor Guideline to Zimbabwe’s ZIDA Advances Dig...
Further details, revealed in June 2025, describe the mechanism’s structure, which gives authorities five days to reply while investors can submit follow-ups within 30 days.
Alignment with global best practices and full automation by year-end aim to foster transparency and accountability and reinforce Zimbabwe’s investment attractiveness.
Final Assessment
From the majority of comments, it is apparent that Zimbabwe undeniably holds compelling growth potential: a resilient populace, resurgence across tourism and agriculture, and increasing interest in digital and sustainability ventures. But seizing this opportunity requires:
• Mitigating currency and inflation volatility
• Ensuring policy stability and investor-friendly governance
• Preventing external capital from undermining local empowerment
• Upgrading infrastructural inefficiencies in finance and trade platforms
As Kourkoutas puts it, “Yes, challenges remain, from currency volatility to infrastructure gaps, but smart, patient capital paired with local partnerships is starting to unlock serious potential.”
By pairing bold ambition with realism and local respect, Zimbabwe can transition from resilient survival to dynamic, equitable development.
Witness Runodada- Zim Now ReporterThe Zimbabwe national cricket team has arrived in Nottingham ahead of their historic Test match against England, set to take place at the iconic Trent Bridge from M..
ZimbabweChinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning: PRC Foreign Affairs MinistryMonica CheruManaging EditorAt a time when conflict is escalating across the world, nearly 60 countries and 20 internationa..
HongkongPatience Muchemwa | Senior ReporterMichelle Kim Zuze, known on the track as “Panther” and affectionately called “Mhepo” by friends, is a Zimbabwean sprinter who has proudly represented her country i..
Zimbabwe
Leave Comments