Kudzanai Gerede
STAFF WRITER
ZIMBABWE’S best performing companies are set to be honoured at this year’s highly-anticipated Top Companies Survey (TCS) Awards to be held in Harare tomorrow.
The annual awards, organised by the Daily News’ sister publication, The Financial Gazette, and Old Mutual Zimbabwe, will honour companies that have demonstrated strong financial and operational performance, with this year’s judging criteria placing greater emphasis on “sustainable earnings, cash generation and year-on-year improvement.”
TCS judges chairperson Prosper Matiashe yesterday said the 2026 awards are among the most competitive editions.
“This year’s awards were the most competitive we have run. A tightened insurance methodology and genuine year-on-year growth scoring raised the bar, yet several categories still came down to razor-thin margins,” Matiashe said.
“What set our winners apart is consistency in the fundamentals: real cash conversion over paper gains, underwriting and credit discipline over financial engineering, and capital that’s genuinely earned rather than revalued.”
Matiashe said the judging process also identified companies that had made meaningful progress during the year, particularly through improved margins and cash generation under the current challenging environment.
“Companies that improved told a similar story — meaningful gains in margins and cash generation, proof that this year rewards real operational progress, not just incumbency.
“On Friday, expect a morning that celebrates that shift — from survival mode to real execution — as we recognise excellence across listed companies, banking, insurance and reinsurance, ESG, mining, exports and energy, and share a fuller picture of where the Zimbabwean corporate sector is heading into 2027,” he said.
The awards come as Zimbabwe’s corporate sector navigates a changing operating environment, with companies facing pressure to strengthen balance sheets, improve productivity and generate sustainable returns amid ongoing economic reforms.
The theme this year, “Fusing AI and Human Skill for Sustainable Economic Growth,” dovetails with technological developments shaping the corporate sector mainly driven by artificial intelligence.
Renowned technology executive Natalie Jabangwe would be the guest of honour at the ceremony while Mutapa Investment Fund chief investment officer Simba Chinyemba is set to deliver the keynote address.
Formerly with EcoCash, Jabangwe has emerged as one of Africa’s prominent figures in fintech and digital financial services, with a career spanning technology, financial services and innovation.
She is currently chief executive of the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation, where she oversees a pan-African innovation network and startup funding initiatives focused on using technology and education to drive sustainable development.
Her participation comes as businesses across Zimbabwe are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, making the connection of technology and human skills a key issue for corporate leaders.
Meanwhile, Chinyemba brings extensive international investment and leadership experience to the event.
As chief investment officer of Mutapa Investment Fund, Zimbabwe’s sovereign wealth fund, he is responsible for investment strategy and capital allocation across a portfolio valued at about US$15 billion, comprising more than 30 state-owned enterprises operating in sectors including natural resources, energy, ICT, transport and financial services.
His career has included senior leadership roles across major global financial and business centres, including London, Bermuda, the Middle East and Africa.
This year’s categories include ZSE Top Companies, VFEX Top Companies, Consolidated Listed Companies Top Companies, Banker of the Year, General Insurance, Life Insurance, General Reinsurance, Life Reinsurance, Top Investor Returns-VFEX and Top Investor Returns-ZSE.
Other categories include the Special Mention for Improvement in Rankings, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Award, Mining House of the Year, Exports Champion of the Year and Independent Power Producer of the Year.
The Top Companies Survey was launched in 1980 and ran for 28 years before being temporarily suspended in 2008 following a prolonged economic crisis.
It was relaunched in 2014 in partnership with Old Mutual Zimbabwe.
The judges and analysts, who are independent of both The Financial Gazette and Old Mutual, develop the judging criteria and categories used for the awards.
The Top Companies Survey Awards recognise corporate excellence and resilience in Zimbabwe’s dynamic economic landscape.
By celebrating firms that excel in cash generation, governance, and technology adoption like artificial intelligence, the awards encourage sound financial discipline and strategic innovation across the corporate sector.