Zimbabwe’s cabinet decided on 20 October to suspend or revoke the operating licences of foreign-owned businesses that breach rules reserving 17 economic sectors for citizens. Inspections covered more than 3,000 companies; 269 foreign operators have applied to regularise by transferring 75% of their equity to Zimbabweans, and 63 qualified for exemptions. The rules, gazetted in December 2025, reserve 13 sectors, including borehole drilling, estate agencies and artisanal mining, for locals and admit foreigners to retail, haulage, grain milling and freight forwarding only under exemptions. Enforcement falls mainly on foreign-owned shops and wholesalers, which the government says still trade without regularising, and shifts ownership of small-scale trade towards Zimbabweans. The government has not yet set a date for closures.
Sources
- The Herald: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/blitz-targets-defiant-foreign-firms/
- NewZimbabwe.com: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/govt-to-shut-non-compliant-foreign-businesses-operating-in-reserved-sectors/
- The Namibian (background on SI 215 of 2025): https://www.namibian.com.na/zimbabwe-sets-deadline-for-foreign-businesses-to-comply-with-local-ownership-laws/