Foreign Businesses Given Deadline to Exit Reserved Sectors

Foreign-owned businesses operating in sectors reserved for Zimbabwean citizens have been given until 2027 to either exit or partner with local investors under new government regulations. The policy, introduced through Statutory Instrument 215 of 2025 restricts certain businesses to Zimbabwean citizens and bars foreign operators from continuing in those sectors unless they comply with the new requirements. Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi said the government was allowing time for businesses to adjust to the changes.

“Since the Statutory Instrument was passed last year, the Government is now supposed to be doing a survey. It is still too early for the Government to do a survey,” he said. He added that the transition period was designed to give affected companies time to reorganise their operations before the deadline.

“We agreed to give people time and those businesses to find people to share with, so they can exit by 2027,” he said. The government says the measure is aimed at increasing citizens participation in key sectors of the economy while ensuring that businesses already operating in those areas have time to comply. Officials say consultations between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and business stakeholders will continue as the policy is implemented. “Let us give the Government time so that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and business people can meet and deliberate on businesses run by foreigners so that they can exit and surrender their business shares,” he said.