2021 provided yet another eventful year for Zimbabweans from a business perspective. We take a look back at some of the stories that rocked the business world in Zimbabwe.

January

04 Rainbow Tourism Group made a play into streaming to diversify from tourism in the face of another wave of the coronavirus pandemic

05 New restrictions were also put in place to curb the increased spread of the pandemic

08 DPA announced big moves to set up electric car charging ports

11 The first meeting of the RBZ Monetary Policy Committee brought good news for Bureau de Changes while exporters were left for the worse

12 December 2020 inflation decreased year on year with a slight increase month on month

20 The idea of a Chinese origin company BYD Zimbabwe setting up an Electric vehicle centre

28 Year on year inflation broke the trend and increased in January 2021

February

04 The cost of living pushed up

08 Zimbabweans got their regular ZERA fuel price update

08 A Zupco fare hike unearthed other concerns about the transporter

18 Stanbic Bank showed signs of the times by offering a virtual internship

19 A positive monetary policy statement was released by the RBZ

19 Africa university developed Zumbani cough drops

25 We broke down the RBZ Fintech regulatory sandbox concept

March

02 Year on year inflation returns to the downward trend

03 Lockdown restrictions were eased

05 Mobile Network operators were the focus of Zimbabwean’s anger

05 And price reviews continued

09 12 companies were suspended from the RBZ Foreign Currency Auction

16 Grain Marketing Board (GMB) announced plans to go digital

26 We took a look at the struggles of eCommerce in Zimbabwe

30 March inflation continued the decline

April

01 ZIMRA made changes to the vehicle clearance process

07 ZERA hit consumers with another fuel price increase

08 ZUPCO added unhappy operators to their unhappy customers

16 Government clarified policy on sale of Cotton and Soya beans

16 Mobile money fraud was estimated at over US$100m

22 BDCs allowed to sell foreign currency to SMEs

22 Schools encouraged to be profitable – through joint ventures

27 Inflation drops again

May

05 ZERA licenses 34 out of around 150 fuel companies

05 Net one slapped users with another tariff review

07 The Monetary Policy Committee doubled down on existing policies

11 Government planned to borrow for road expansion through bond

13 Exporters were offered improved foreign currency retention

17 Government expressed a desire to automate Zimbabwean healthcare

19 Live audio chat proved a big hit with Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces

26 Year on year inflation declined with an increase in month on month inflation

27 ZESA announced another tariff hike

31 SI 127 of 2021 imposed fines for charging at a forex rate above the official rate and its implications. There was a fallout with industry.

June

14 More covid-19 measures announced

16 RBZ names 18 foreign currency auction abusers

23 RBZ made a feeble attempt to encourage deposits

24 E livestock cattle logging system introduced in Zimbabwe

July

07 RBZ swiftly announced the $50 note

08 Nyaradzo group diversified into agriculture

28 Zimbabwe just missed the year on year inflation target for July 2021 

August

05 The parallel market rate ran away while auction rate held steady

16 RBZ launched the aforementioned 2 year government bond

19 Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange launched with an impressive app 

25 Ecocash also reviewed their charges, upwards of course

25 Much ado over the US$1 billion Special Drawing Rights allocation to Zimbabwe

27 The Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) procured electric vehicles

27 Year on year inflation showed it can go lower

31 BDCs were given limited freedom to sell forex to individuals

September

01 More lockdown restrictions were imposed

10 Which were swiftly eased

10 ZUPCO made a play to engage trains 

21 NetOne Launches National Mobile 5G Broad Band Phase 3 Project

29 Year on year inflation registers a slight uptick in September

29 RBZ names 30 forex dealers as parallel rate marched towards 200

30 Econet decided not to be left out in the tariff increases

October

01 EU suspends duty on some Zimbabwean imports 

07 The RBZ named 47 more forex dealers

07 Simbisa brands launches Innbucks

08 “New” rules were introduced to curb the parallel market rate growth

11 We picked some highlights from the President’s SONA address 

12 The RBZ huffed and puffed over the parallel market exchange rate growth

18 The Financial Intelligence Unit waded into the exchange rate discourse

19 The Facebook services outage rocked Zimbabwe

21 160 Hydro Farm impresses with in-store living garden

25 FIU targets Airtime, Ministry threatens arrests while RBZ wants to go mobile

28 Inflation was Up on the month, up on the year

29 RBZ made big resolutions to deal with he exchange rate

November

01 BancABC Enhanced Global Payments for Zimbabweans Through Its Latest Debit Card

01 Facebook announces Rebranding To Meta and introduces the Metaverse

10 Rumour had it the Zimbabwean Government Considered Adopting Cryptocurrency

13 Another Fuel Price Adjustment

15 smiles for winners at the inaugural Capital Markets Awards

22 BancABC held a virtual SME Summit https://startupbiz.co.zw/2021-bancabc-virtual-sme-summit-is-here/

22 EMA plans plastic carrier bag ban for December 2022

26 The 2022 National budget was announced with a few interesting highlights https://startupbiz.co.zw/2022-national-budget-highlights/

26 And inflation went up again https://startupbiz.co.zw/inflation-almost-certain-to-miss-year-end-target/

December

09 Zimbabwean Startups nominated in 2021 Southern Africa Startup Awards

13 Unvaccinated People To Be banned From Using Public Transport: Cabinet

13 Gateway Stream courts Zimbabwean Social Media Influencers

13 Did Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Launch 20 New Channels?

Another eventful business year in Zimbabwe. Many seeds were planted and it will be interesting to see some of these if not all come to fruition in 2022 and beyond.