Pride Mzarabani
HARARE – Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has taken a major step toward improving its ease of doing business with the official launch of the e-Regulations portal, a comprehensive digital tool aimed at simplifying, organising and making transparent the country’s regulatory and administrative procedures.
Currently, the portal has mapped 62 procedures from 21 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and local authorities, a foundation that will grow as the project continues.
Speaking at the launch, ZIDA CEO Tafadzwa Chinamo described the portal as a “key milestone” in Zimbabwe’s investment facilitation agenda. The platform, which has been developed in partnership with the United Nations Trade and Development Agency, is designed to bring clarity and predictability to investors, businesses, and citizens navigating government procedures.
“The e-Regulations platform is a centralised resource that enhances transparency, reduces bureaucratic complexity, and supports the ease of doing business. It empowers users with the knowledge needed to navigate regulatory requirements and boosts investor confidence,” Chinamo said.
Chinamo noted that the portal’s launch was not the conclusion but the start of a broader reform agenda, with government departments and agencies (MDAs) being called upon to onboard and contribute actively to the platform.
At its core, the platform offers step-by-step guides on how to comply with various regulations, including what documents are required, how much it costs, the expected duration of the process, and contact information for responsible officials. This offers investors the kind of clarity that has long been missing from Zimbabwe’s business environment.
ZIDA’s Chief Business Development Officer, Noel Mahombera, said that the goal is not only to document existing procedures but to streamline them. “What we’re showing today is not the ideal state, it’s a mapping of the current situation. The next phase is simplification,” Mahombera said.
He highlighted how the traditional process of registering and operating a business in Zimbabwe is riddled with inefficiencies. “Getting to go through the whole myriad of agencies and municipalities that you have to interact with is not only cumbersome and complex, but it’s also very inefficient. The forms that you submit to the different government agencies ask you to submit the same information most of the time,” Mahombera said.
The next phase of the project will introduce a “single form” model where investors can fill in one form, submit documents once, and make a single payment. Government departments will then collaborate behind the scenes to process the application. “It’s not about taking away the roles of government agencies. It’s about making it easier and more efficient for investors to interact with them,” Mahombera said.
The ultimate objective is to develop an online investor single window, a fully integrated digital platform where investors can complete all key procedures in one place. This will include company registration, tax clearance, permits, and licences across various sectors.
In its current form, the e-Regulations portal is already expected to drive massive uptake due to its simplicity and accessibility. “For example, if someone wants to start a mining business, instead of travelling to Harare to visit different offices and wait for weeks, they can now go to the portal and see what documents are needed, the process involved, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and who to contact. That’s powerful.”
This effort also aligns Zimbabwe with regional peers like Rwanda and Kenya, which have made significant strides in improving business environments through digital reforms. In Zimbabwe, starting a business currently involves 19 separate steps compared to just 11 in Kenya. The portal aims to bring such inefficiencies to light and serve as a benchmark for future reform.
“Our competitors in the region are moving fast. Capital goes where processes are easier and faster. With this system, we not only improve our competitiveness but also show investors that Zimbabwe is serious about making it easier to do business,” Mahombera said.
