Staff Writer 
THE Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim) has authorised the Financial Securities Exchange (FINSEC) to launch an Asset Tokenisation Market under the commission’s regulatory sandbox framework.
The approval positions FINSEC as the first regulated market operator in Zimbabwe to offer a formal, supervised platform for the tokenisation of real-world assets, beginning with property and potentially expanding into other productive asset classes over time.
Asset tokenisation is the process of converting rights or economic interests in physical assets into digital tokens that can be issued, held, traded, and settled on a regulated digital market infrastructure.
Unlike cryptocurrencies, asset tokens are fully backed by identifiable underlying assets and are issued within established legal, custodial, and regulatory frameworks.
According to FINSEC, the newly approved Tokenised Asset Market Infrastructure is designed to unlock liquidity from traditionally illiquid assets, lower barriers to investment through fractional ownership, and broaden participation in capital markets for both local and diaspora investors.
“This approval by SECZim represents a critical step forward for Zimbabwe’s financial markets,” said FINSEC chief executive Collen Tapfumaneyi.
“Asset tokenisation allows us to bring real economic assets—such as property and livestock—into a regulated digital marketplace where they can be transparently issued, traded, and settled, with strong investor protections in place,” he added.
Under the approved framework, FINSEC will operate a regulated platform that supports the full lifecycle of tokenised assets, including origination, due diligence, issuance, trading, settlement, custody, and reporting.
FINSEC will utilise a secure, blockchain-enabled platform to record all token issuances and transactions, providing immutable audit trails, integrated compliance checks, and robust custodial controls.
The platform will leverage smart contracts and programmable compliance to automate regulatory requirements while preserving strong investor protections and regulatory supervision.
This approach enables real-time oversight by the regulator and allows market participants to operate with confidence in a transparent, tamper-resistant digital infrastructure.
The first asset classes approved for tokenisation include income-generating and development properties.
Each tokenised offering will be backed by verifiable assets, independent valuations, insurance cover where applicable, and trustee or custodian oversight.
