By Jonathan Mbiriyamceka
HARARE: Zimbabwe could receive more than US$3.5 billion in diaspora remittances this year, but financial services executive Senziwani Sikhosana says the bigger question is whether the country is doing enough to turn those inflows into long-term wealth and productive investment.
Speaking on The Chief Koti Show, Sikhosana, the chief executive officer of financial services group Bard Santner, said Zimbabwe needs to move beyond viewing diaspora money primarily as a source of household support and instead create mechanisms that channel a greater share of it into investment.
Formal diaspora remittances reached US$2.45 billion in 2025, while inflows in the first seven months of 2026 had already reached US$1.62 billion, according to figures highlighted in the interview.
The growing flows present a significant opportunity for Zimbabwe, particularly at a time when the country is seeking capital to drive business expansion, infrastructure development and economic growth.
Sikhosana argues that financial institutions have a critical role to play in creating products that allow Zimbabweans abroad to invest in areas such as businesses, property, capital markets and other productive assets.
Bard Santner, which operates across asset management, corporate finance, wealth management and remittances, has been expanding its regional footprint, including through its TX Money Transfer business.
The debate raises a fundamental economic question for Zimbabwe: if billions of dollars are coming into the country every year, how much of that money is building businesses, creating jobs and generating intergenerational wealth?
For Sikhosana, the opportunity is no longer simply to increase remittance flows, but to unlock their investment potential and make diaspora capital a more powerful engine of Zimbabwe’s economic development.
Senziwani Sikhosana
About Author
