SOSES Survey
Dr. Brilliant Shumba
Chief Customer Experience Officer
(ZB Financial Holdings)
Significance of the SOSES Survey to the Nation
The State of Services Economy Survey (SOSES) is more than a research initiative. It is a national performance barometer for service excellence. It sets credible benchmarks for customer experience in Zimbabwe, covering both public and private institutions. By grounding insights in data, SOSES strengthens national competitiveness, informs policy on customer protection and digital transformation, and supports a more trusted, inclusive, citizen-centred economy.
Why ZB Financial Holdings Considers Sponsorship Important
ZB Financial Holdings (ZBFH) views SOSES as a strategic national asset. Sponsorship reflects a commitment to thought leadership and shaping Zimbabwe’s service standards. The survey aligns with ZBFH’s sustainability strategy by emphasizing people, relationships, and long-term value creation. SOSES also encourages transparency and supports accountable institutions. In essence, ZBFH sponsors SOSES because it strengthens the services economy and customers.
Improvements Observed Since the Survey Started
Rising customer-experience consciousness: organisations increasingly recognise customer satisfaction as a strategic asset.
Corrective and performance-enhancement measures: institutions use SOSES insights to close service gaps and improve responsiveness.
Accelerated digital adoption: findings have pushed investment into ICT and self-service channels.
Cultural shift toward service excellence: service quality is becoming a key differentiator, with stronger focus on customer delivery across sectors.
Outlook for Zimbabwe’s Services Economy and ZBFH’s Positioning
Zimbabwe’s services economy shows strong momentum, contributing a large share of national GDP. Growth is expected across digital financial services, insurance, infrastructure, real estate, tourism, and professional services.
ZBFH is positioned to ride this wave through SOSES leadership and its Sustainability Standards Certification Initiative (SSCI). Together these reinforce global best practice, drive sustainable growth, and support the strategy of building “happy people” through excellent service.
SOSES Sectors
The 2025 SOSES provides an insightful overview of key sectors driving Zimbabwe’s service economy. It highlights industries such as Agriculture, Banking, Real Estate, and more, showing the diverse landscape shaping economic growth and the importance of emerging sectors.
SOSES sectors wheel (e.g., real estate, agriculture, banking, telecoms, tourism, energy, retail, health, insurance).
SOSES 2025
Service Beyond Boundaries
The annual State of the Service Economy Survey (SOSES) stands out as a benchmark for interrogating and better understanding service sub-sectors in Zimbabwe.
This year’s edition, the third since inception, is themed “Service Beyond Boundaries”, underscoring the role of technology in breaking national boundaries.
The theme comes amid the growing influence of regional trading blocs and forums such as AfCFTA, BRICS, the African Union, the European Union, and the G20—showing that competition for industry and commerce is now global.
The service economy spans utilities, health, education, telecommunications, banking, retail, tourism, transport, insurance, energy, real estate, agriculture and more. The key question is how local corporates can survive and compete in a fast-paced, borderless global economy, and what sustainable competitive advantage Zimbabwe can build.
With the global services market projected to be worth about US$17.46 trillion and accounting for a major share of jobs and world GDP, SOSES asks how Zimbabwe can tap into this potential for national economic gain.
Service Beyond Boundaries!
“Service Beyond Boundaries” is an urgent call to action for industry and commerce: make service central to business strategy and seize growth opportunities within the global service sector for national prosperity.
In a world of intense regional and global competition, service-driven growth enables a sustainable path to foreign currency generation, job creation, and a globally competitive future.
By leveraging innovations such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things—and by investing in human capital—Zimbabwe can offer services beyond boundaries and grow its share of the global services economy.
The theme promotes innovation, diversification, and integration of services across borders. It recognizes that digital connectivity is removing traditional limits, helping local service providers expand reach, adopt best practice, and transcend geographic and infrastructural constraints.
Why the SOSES 2025 Matters for Zimbabwe
Policy Formulation and Strategic Planning: SOSES insights enable informed policies that promote service-sector growth, using data on performance, demand, and emerging trends to guide reform priorities.
Enhancing Competitiveness: By identifying strengths and weaknesses across industries, Zimbabwe can target improvements in quality, efficiency, and innovation, boosting competitiveness locally and internationally.
Attracting Investment: Detailed sector data improves investor confidence, highlighting opportunities for public-private partnerships, technology upgrades, and market expansion.
Employment and Socio-economic Development: Services are labour-intensive and create jobs at many skill levels. Findings help identify employment gaps and support inclusive economic growth.
