The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce has urged Government to prioritise clarity and administrative predictability in implementing Statutory Instrument 215 of 2025, warning that the success of the Reserved Sectors Policy will hinge on execution rather than intent.
ZNCC convened a Reserved Sectors Breakfast Meeting to deliberate on the policy framework. The Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development was Guest of Honour, represented by Deputy Minister Hon. Kiven Mutimbanyoka.
In a statement following the meeting, ZNCC said: “There is overwhelming support for economic empowerment. Zimbabweans must actively participate in and benefit from their own economy.”
However, the Chamber stressed that “policy success will depend on implementation,” signalling concerns from business leaders about regulatory certainty and operational coherence.
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Among the key issues raised were “legal and definitional clarity,” “administrative predictability,” and “realistic transition timelines,” alongside questions around the “capacity & competitiveness of local firms,” “governance & ownership verification,” and “policy coherence across Government.”
The business lobby emphasised that “empowerment, competitiveness and productivity are not mutually exclusive,” arguing that the Reserved Sectors framework must be sequenced carefully to avoid unintended disruptions to investment and supply chains.
SI 215 of 2025 seeks to ring-fence certain sectors of the economy for Zimbabwean participation as part of broader economic empowerment efforts. While the principle has received strong domestic backing, investors and industry players have been watching closely for guidance on compliance thresholds, ownership verification mechanisms and transition arrangements.
ZNCC said it remains committed to “constructive public–private dialogue to ensure implementation strengthens both empowerment and economic stability.”
The debate now shifts from policy design to enforcement architecture — a phase that will determine whether the Reserved Sectors Policy accelerates SME growth and domestic value chains or introduces regulatory uncertainty in key industries.
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