Local Insights: helping to energise a brighter future for Zimbabwe

Can you tell us about the history and specialities of your law firm? 

Absolom & Shepherd is a legal solution centre for business and commerce in Zimbabwe, offering solutions in mining, energy, corporate, commercial, and business law. It has served a diverse array of clients, including private equity funds, mineral traders, foreign diplomatic missions, and large multinational companies. 

The firm’s founding partners, Simbarashe Absolom Murondoti and Shepherd Machigere, position the firm as being the law practice of the future in Zimbabwe. Since its inception in 2022, the firm has recorded significant growth.

What makes Absolom & Shepherd Attorneys unique in your market? 

Our firm’s lawyers are multi-skilled, boasting expertise in fields that intersect with the law. For instance, Shepherd Machigere, the Managing Partner, is a seasoned banker and finance expert. Simbarashe Absolom Murondoti is a certified ethical hacker and Microsoft technology associate. Those working in the firm’s mining practice group are highly skilled in land and natural resources. Our firm leverages skills in fields outside the law to add tremendous value to clients.

How has the legal and business landscape evolved in Zimbabwe in recent years? 

Zimbabwe’s business landscape has recorded rapid change in the past few years. Since 2019, the currency laws have significantly changed, from introduction and use of the RTGS dollar, removal of the United States Dollar, return of the United States Dollar with a 2030 deadline through Statutory Instrument 218 of 2023. 

These changes have had a fundamental impact on large business transactions, with banking among the most affected. The nation has also seen changes to indigenisation laws, with new regulations now in place whose effect is to designate certain sectors of the economy as being reserved for indigenous Zimbabweans. 

When these changes are contrasted with the booming construction industry and the increased diaspora remittances, one cannot help but look forward to the future with nervous optimism. 

What are some key challenges and big opportunities for businesses looking to operate in Zimbabwe, and how does Absolom & Shepherd help local and international clients navigate those challenges and harness those opportunities? 

Mining signifies a very big opportunity for foreign investors coming into Zimbabwe. The introduction and onboarding of the computerised mining cadastre system by Zimbabwe presents a future where mining disputes will be both easy to avoid and to resolve. This addresses a longstanding concern of investors in the past. 

Secondly, Zimbabwe has tremendous opportunities in energy, since the government in October 2025 permitted private investors to invest in power trading and distribution, breaking the government monopoly in that space.

Absolom & Shepherd Attorneys is prepared to assist clients to navigate various challenges including exchange control requirements, compliance with various regulatory authorities and understanding of complex tax matters.

What else would you like readers to know about Absolom & Shepherd Attorneys or doing business in Zimbabwe? 

Our firm has handled multi-million-dollar transactions on behalf of clients the world over. We have also been involved in groundbreaking litigation over a number of interesting legal questions. 

For more information on Absolom & Shepherd Attorneys, visit the firm's website.