Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right route - the SECZim sandbox, a paired licensed hub, or both in sequence - and leads it to a compliant launch, including banking and payment rails.
Get a crypto license in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has no dedicated VASP law - and we say so plainly. The structured way in is the SECZim regulatory sandbox, which admitted seven fintech projects in July 2026, five of them building tokenisation. The state has banned, then experimented: banks were cut off from crypto in 2018, a gold-backed token followed in 2023, the ZiG currency in 2024. We build the honest version of the route.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Crypto licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Zimbabwe in brief
No VASP law - a sandbox that is real.
Zimbabwe has no dedicated virtual-asset law and no licence a crypto exchange can apply for, and it is important to be plain about that. The history explains the present. In May 2018 the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe ordered banks to cut off cryptocurrency businesses, and Golix, then the country's largest exchange, lost its accounts. Then the state changed sides - partially, and on its own terms. The RBZ issued a gold-backed digital token in 2023, and in April 2024 replaced the collapsing Zimbabwe dollar with the ZiG - Zimbabwe Gold - a currency backed by bullion reserves. Meanwhile the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe opened a regulatory sandbox, and by public notice in July 2026 admitted seven fintech projects at once. Five of the seven build some form of tokenisation, from a blockchain capital-raising platform to FINSEC's token market. So the state now experiments with the same technology it once cut off, while retail crypto remains unlicensed.
That contradiction defines the honest offer. On one side sits a structured way in: a Zimbabwe company plus a SECZim sandbox admission, with testing parameters and timeframes set by the regulator - a relationship on the record, in a market where tokenisation has official momentum. On the other side sit the risks Zimbabwe never lets anyone forget: the 2008 hyperinflation that ended in a hundred-trillion-dollar banknote, the ZiG arriving as the sixth attempt at a national currency since then and losing about 43% against the dollar within six months, and a 2% tax on electronic transfers. Sandbox admission is a test window, and SECZim itself states that it does not guarantee registration or licensing. So we run both tracks. The sandbox route is built properly today; a licensed hub abroad carries any activity that needs a standing permission now; and a readiness file is kept current for whatever framework follows. End to end, with the risks priced in rather than talked around.
No dedicated VASP law in Zimbabwe - honestly. The structured way in is the SECZim sandbox, which admitted seven projects in July 2026, five of them building tokenisation.
The state cut banks off from crypto in 2018, then issued its own gold token and the ZiG. We build the sandbox route properly and pair a licensed hub for what needs a permission now.
The honest picture
The sandbox route - and a hub for what it cannot carry.
Two workstreams, honestly scoped: the SECZim sandbox and company route that operates today, and the paired hub plus readiness file that carries regulated activity now and converts if Zimbabwe legislates.
The sandbox + company route operates today; a paired hub carries regulated activity and converts if Zimbabwe legislates.
01 - SANDBOX + COMPANY · TODAY
Test live under SECZim oversight
The working route: a Zimbabwe company with clean governance, and a SECZim sandbox application scoped to your product. The July 2026 cohort shows the door is genuinely open - seven projects admitted, five of them tokenisation.
The working route: a Zimbabwe company with clean governance, and a SECZim sandbox application scoped to your product. The July 2026 cohort shows the door is genuinely open - seven projects admitted, five of them tokenisation.
- ✓Zimbabwe company with clean governance
- ✓SECZim sandbox application - the 2026 route
- ✓Live testing within set parameters
- ✓Tokenisation focus - five of seven in the cohort
- ✓AML practice to real standards
- ✓A regulator relationship built early
02 - PAIRED HUB + READINESS
No standing VASP licenceLicensed abroad, ready at home
Sandbox admission is a test window, and SECZim says plainly it does not guarantee a licence. So regulated activity that needs a standing permission sits in a licensed hub abroad, while a licence-grade readiness file keeps you first in line if Zimbabwe legislates.
Sandbox admission is a test window, not a licence - a supervised hub abroad carries what needs a standing permission now.
- ✓A licensed hub for regulated activity now
- ✓Sandbox exit does not guarantee a licence
- ✓Licence-grade compliance built early
- ✓Legislative monitoring - we track the drafts
- ✓Currency risk modelled - ZiG and USD flows
- ✓First in line if a framework follows
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Zimbabwe has no standing VASP licence - sandbox admission is a test window, not a permission - and we say so in writing, not in small print.
Why Zimbabwe
Official momentum, hard history, honestly weighed.
A sandbox with a real 2026 cohort and official momentum behind tokenisation - set against currency history that punishes wishful structures.
✓
A working sandbox, with names
In July 2026 SECZim admitted seven projects by public notice - among them FINSEC's token market and the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange. Live testing under set parameters is available. That is more than most unlicensed markets offer.Seven projects admitted by notice in July 2026.
✓
Tokenisation is state policy
Five of the seven sandbox projects build tokenisation, and the state runs its own: the RBZ issued a gold-backed digital token in 2023 and the bullion-backed ZiG currency in April 2024. The direction of official interest is clear.Gold token 2023; ZiG 2024; five of seven projects.
✓
The 2018 lesson still stands
In May 2018 the RBZ ordered banks to drop crypto clients, and Golix - then the biggest local exchange - lost its accounts. Policy here can reverse fast. We structure so a reversal wounds the plan, never the whole business.Banks were ordered off crypto; policy can reverse.
✓
Real demand underneath
A heavily dollarised economy, large diaspora remittance inflows, and two decades of storing value outside the banking system. The use-cases for tokenised assets and digital settlement are lived experience here, and the sandbox cohort reflects that.Dollarised habits, remittances, stored value.
✓
A sandbox that is candid about itself
SECZim's notice states that participation does not guarantee registration or licensing. Good. A regulator that names its limits is one you can build a record with - and the record is what converts later.Admission does not guarantee a licence - stated.
✓
Honest guidance on scope
Our value here is candour. The sandbox and company route is real; a standing «Zimbabwe VASP licence» is not. Where your model needs a permission today, a licensed hub carries it - sequenced with the Harare build.No selling a VASP licence that does not exist.
How it compares
How Zimbabwe differs from other routes.
Zimbabwe is the sandbox play in a region where neighbours already license. The honest comparison is below.
Zimbabwe vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Zimbabwe | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | SECZim sandbox, no VASP law | Standing VASP licences |
| Standing licence | Not available - pair elsewhere | Often available |
| Corporate tax | 24% + 3% AIDS levy | Ranges widely |
| Currency | ZiG · multi-currency to 2030 | Usually stable |
Regime
ZimbabweSECZim sandbox, no VASP law
Other jurisdictionsStanding VASP licences
Standing licence
ZimbabweNot available - pair elsewhere
Other jurisdictionsOften available
Corporate tax
Zimbabwe24% + 3% AIDS levy
Other jurisdictionsRanges widely
Currency
ZimbabweZiG · multi-currency to 2030
Other jurisdictionsUsually stable
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | SECZim sandbox (no VASP law) | 24% + 3% AIDS levy | Case-by-case, live tests |
 South Africa | CASP / FSP licence (FSCA) | 27% corporate | Fit-and-proper, ~4-6 months |
 Zambia | SEC sandbox + company (no law) | 30% corporate | Conditions and limits, live tests |
 Botswana | VASP registration (NBFIRA) | 22% corporate | Due diligence + consumer protection |
ZimbabweLicense typeSECZim sandbox (no VASP law)
Taxation24% + 3% AIDS levy
RequirementsCase-by-case, live tests
South AfricaLicense typeCASP / FSP licence (FSCA)
Taxation27% corporate
RequirementsFit-and-proper, ~4-6 months
ZambiaLicense typeSEC sandbox + company (no law)
Taxation30% corporate
RequirementsConditions and limits, live tests
BotswanaLicense typeVASP registration (NBFIRA)
Taxation22% corporate
RequirementsDue diligence + consumer protection
Doing it properly
What the compliant structure contains.What the compliant structure contains.
No VASP law does not mean no standards - the sandbox and the banks both demand real ones. The checklist below is what we build.
01
Zimbabwe company - incorporated with clean governance and ownership transparent to UBOs.
02
Sandbox application - a well-prepared submission to the SECZim regulatory sandbox, scoped to your product.
03
Honest scope assessment - whether the sandbox fits, or a licensed hub must carry the regulated activity now.
04
Testing plan - parameters, limits and timeframes defined with the regulator, in writing.
05
AML/CFT practice - KYC, EDD, monitoring and reporting to real standards, with a named compliance officer.
06
Custody and systems documentation - wallet architecture described to international standards.
07
Currency risk model - ZiG, USD and the 2% IMTT mapped through every flow before launch.
08
Banking file - accounts arranged on full disclosure, matched to the flows.
09
Clean books - accounting a bank and a future regulator read as an asset.
10
Readiness file - licence-grade compliance kept current for whatever framework follows the sandbox.
11
Paired licence where needed - a standing permission abroad, sequenced with the Zimbabwe build.
01
Zimbabwe company with clean governance.
02
Sandbox application to SECZim, scoped to the product.
03
Honest scope assessment - sandbox fit or hub first.
04
Testing parameters agreed with the regulator, in writing.
05
AML practice to real standards.
06
Custody and systems documentation.
07
Currency risk model - ZiG, USD and the 2% IMTT.
08
Banking file on full disclosure.
09
Clean books from day one.
10
Licence-grade readiness for whatever framework follows.
11
Paired licence where a permission is needed now.
Reflects the SECZim sandbox framework, RBZ currency rules and general company and AML law as of 2026. There is no standing VASP licence - in writing, not in small print.SECZim sandbox + RBZ currency rules + general company/AML law, as of 2026. No standing VASP licence.
How it works
From first call to a compliant structure.
01
Strategy and honesty
The real status - sandbox fit or hub first - plus the currency, tax and banking plan, fixed in writing before anything incorporates.Sandbox fit or hub first; currency and tax - in writing.
02
Zimbabwe company
Incorporation with clean governance and ownership transparent to UBOs - the layer the sandbox application sits on.Clean governance; ownership transparent to UBOs.
03
Sandbox and AML
The SECZim submission, testing parameters negotiated, and AML practice built to real standards.The SECZim submission plus real AML practice.
04
Readiness and pairing
Licence-grade compliance kept current for whatever framework follows; a paired hub where a standing permission is needed now.Readiness kept current; a hub where needed now.
05
Banking and launch
Accounts arranged on disclosure, ZiG and USD flows modelled with the 2% IMTT - the structure live and honestly scoped.Accounts on disclosure; IMTT modelled; live.
Quick facts
Dedicated VASP lawNone
RouteSECZim sandbox
2026 cohort7 projects admitted
Tokenisation focus5 of 7 projects
Retail cryptoUnlicensed
Corporate tax24% + 3% AIDS levy
IMTT2% on transfers
CurrencyZiG (April 2024)
Anyone selling a standing «Zimbabwe VASP licence» in 2026 is selling paper - no such licence exists. The honest products are the SECZim sandbox route, built properly, and a paired licensed hub.
On the ground in Zimbabwe
Run from our Dubai office, with Zimbabwean counsel.
Prifinance - Zimbabwe desk
Harare · Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe
01
Zimbabwe incorporation
Company formation with clean governance and transparent ownership - the corporate layer the sandbox route sits on.Clean governance; the layer the sandbox sits on.
02
Sandbox application
A well-prepared SECZim submission with testing parameters scoped to your product - the 2026 route in, documented.A structured SECZim submission, documented.
03
AML and readiness
Real AML practice and licence-grade compliance kept current - credible now, convertible if Zimbabwe legislates.Real AML; convertible if Zimbabwe legislates.
04
Scope and pairing
An honest read on what the sandbox can carry, and a licensed hub abroad for what it cannot - sequenced cleanly.The sandbox for what fits; a hub for the rest.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of crypto companies in Zimbabwe.
Company profits carry 24% corporate tax plus the 3% AIDS levy - an effective 24.72% - before the 2% transfer tax and the currency question. We model all three honestly.
24% plus the AIDS levy
Corporate income tax is 24%, and the AIDS levy adds 3% of the tax due - an effective 24.72%. A clean, knowable figure, which in Zimbabwe counts for something.Effective 24.72% - a knowable figure.
The 2% IMTT is real money
The Intermediated Money Transfer Tax has applied to electronic transactions since October 2018, at 2%. On a payments-heavy model it can outweigh income tax, so we run it through every flow before launch, not after.On electronic transfers since October 2018.
Currency is a tax question here
The ZiG arrived in April 2024 and lost about 43% against the dollar within six months; the multi-currency regime is legislated to 2030. Functional currency, pricing and repatriation get decided at the start, in writing.ZiG since 2024; multi-currency to 2030.
Capital gains and withholding
CGT and withholding taxes apply in defined cases, with rates that turn on the asset and the currency of the deal. We map them per transaction rather than quote one comforting number.Mapped per transaction - no single number.
Home-country analysis
A Zimbabwe structure does not remove tax where owners actually sit. We model the home-country and owner-level position honestly, so the plan is sound rather than optimistic.Where owners sit still governs them.
Records serve both
Sandbox reporting and AML files double as the evidence a tax office wants - clean books carry both burdens at once.Sandbox files double as tax evidence.
Tax summary
Corporate income tax24% + 3% AIDS levy
Effective rate24.72%
IMTT2% on transfers
CurrencyZiG · multi-currency to 2030
Crypto-specific rulesNone - sandbox route
SubstanceGenuine - required
*As of 2026. The rates are knowable; the currency is the variable. We model ZiG and USD flows, the IMTT and the owner position honestly.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the sandbox application to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the structure itself: Zimbabwe company, sandbox application, AML/KYC pack and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a clean, honestly-scoped business.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Zimbabwe · SECZim sandbox
Launch your crypto project in Zimbabwe with expert support.
Full-service setup - the sandbox and company route today, a licensed hub for regulated activity, and readiness for whatever framework follows.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Zimbabwe the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: whether the sandbox route fits, or which paired structure suits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Zimbabwe crypto route, answered honestly.
Is there a crypto licence in Zimbabwe?+
No. There is no dedicated VASP law and no standing licence a crypto business can apply for. The structured route is the SECZim regulatory sandbox plus a company, assessed case by case. Anyone selling a «Zimbabwe crypto licence» is selling paper.
What is the SECZim sandbox?+
A programme of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe that lets firms test products live under set parameters and timeframes. In July 2026 it admitted seven projects by public notice - among them FINSEC's token market and the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange - five of them building tokenisation.
Does sandbox admission lead to a licence?+
Not automatically, and SECZim says so itself: participation does not guarantee registration or licensing. What it does give you is a supervised track record and a regulator relationship - the raw material for whatever framework follows. We treat it as exactly that.
What happened in 2018?+
In May 2018 the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe ordered banks to cut off cryptocurrency businesses, and Golix, then the country's largest exchange, lost its accounts. That is why we never build a Zimbabwe structure whose survival depends on one policy staying put.
Why does the state tokenise while retail is unlicensed?+
Because it trusts the technology for its own instruments: the RBZ issued a gold-backed digital token in 2023 and the bullion-backed ZiG currency in April 2024. That official momentum is the opening the sandbox formalises - tokenisation projects are pushing on a door the state itself uses.
How are companies taxed?+
Corporate income tax is 24% plus the 3% AIDS levy - an effective 24.72%. On top sits the 2% Intermediated Money Transfer Tax on electronic transactions, which on payment-heavy models matters more than the headline rate. Currency planning under the ZiG and the multi-currency regime is part of the same answer.
What is the real risk?+
Currency instability and policy reversal. The 2008 hyperinflation ended in a hundred-trillion-dollar note; the ZiG is the sixth currency attempt since and was devalued about 43% in September 2024. We structure so regulated activity sits in a licensed hub and a reversal never strands the whole business.
Why Zimbabwe with you?+
Because the value is honest scoping: the sandbox built properly for what it can carry, a licensed hub for what it cannot, and a readiness file kept current for the framework that may follow. No paper promises.
A crypto licence in Zimbabwe?+
No - sandbox route only; no VASP law exists.
The sandbox?+
SECZim live testing; seven admitted July 2026.
Does it end in a licence?+
Not guaranteed - SECZim says so itself.
What happened in 2018?+
RBZ cut banks off; Golix lost its accounts.
Why does the state tokenise?+
Gold token 2023, ZiG 2024 - its own instruments.
Company taxes?+
24% + 3% levy; 2% IMTT on transfers.
The real risk?+
Currency and policy reversal - structure for it.
Why with us?+
Honest scoping; a hub paired where needed.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
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Google
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Google
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One message away from your Zimbabwe structure.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: the sandbox route, a paired licensed hub, or both in sequence.Free legal opinion: the sandbox route, a paired licensed hub, or both in sequence - what fits your project.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear, honest read on scope - not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe or any other public authority. Registrations and licences are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.