State of the Service Economy Survey (SOSES 2025, powered by ZBFH) represents a watershed moment for customer service in Zimbabwe. As the primary sponsor of this landmark research initiative, we at ZB Financial Holdings are proud to work together with SOSES (State of the Service Economy Survey) to push service excellence as the foundation of economic competitiveness and national growth.
This year's SOSES unveils critical insights into how Zimbabweans experience service delivery across every sector, from banking and healthcare to education and transport. It also challenges us all to elevate our commitment to customer satisfaction.
Our mission at ZBFH has always been clear: deliver world-class customer service that meets and exceeds the expectations of every client we serve. We believe that understanding customer experience at a national level is not just beneficial, but also essential for building a resilient, globally competitive economy.
With the support of our SOSES partners, namely, Financial Gazette, Tatu Advertising, and Consumer Feedback Consultancy, we are spreading the positive message of SOSES to the nation. A message that is inherently service-first and customer satisfaction-oriented.
“As ZB Financial Holdings, we’re extremely excited to be able to partner and bring SOSES to the nation.”
Why ZBFH Sponsors SOSES: Our Commitment to Service Excellence
At ZB Financial Holdings, we understand that good customer service is the cornerstone of sustainable business success. In our eyes, it all boils down to good principles and common decency. A customer is a person, not a statistic, and every person deserves respect and dignity.
Good service and reliability have always been our ethos at ZB. Besides, bad customer service eventually always costs a company its customers, damages its reputation, and ultimately undermines economic growth on a macroeconomic level.
With this in mind, you can see how SOSES is more than just research; it's a national temperature check that holds all of us accountable to the people we serve.
Core Value Alignment - SOSES & ZBFH
Our sponsorship of SOSES 2025 reflects our core value: that service excellence is not a department, it's a culture. We believe every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to build trust, demonstrate value, and strengthen Zimbabwe's position as a competitive player in the global marketplace.
This mindset guides everything we do at ZBFH, from our branch (service centres) operations to our digital platforms, and from our product development to our after-sales support.
“Service is not a side story. It is the main story,”
The State of the Service Economy Survey gives us the data we need to measure ourselves honestly, benchmark against best practices, and commit to continuous improvement. It's not about celebrating perfection; it's about acknowledging gaps, learning from customer feedback, and taking concrete action to improve customer satisfaction in banking and across every sector of Zimbabwe's economy.
Full Livestream of Event - SOSES 2025, Powered by ZBFH
SOSES 2025: Service Beyond Boundaries
This year's theme, "Service Beyond Boundaries," captures the ambition Zimbabwe must embrace if we are to compete globally. It challenges us to think beyond expectations, beyond borders, and beyond the barriers that have historically limited service delivery.
“This is corporate Africa done with identity, culturally immersive, globally competitive, and sustainably minded,” remarked Hugo. This sentiment embodies what we at ZBFH strive for every day: service that is rooted in our Zimbabwean identity while meeting international standards.
The SOSES 2025 event, held with African elegance and cultural pride, brought together leaders from every major service sector to confront a simple but powerful question: Are we delivering the service our customers deserve? The answer, as the data reveals, is nuanced.
Some sectors are excelling, while others face significant challenges. But across the board, one truth emerged: customer expectations are rising, and digital transformation, human empathy, and operational reliability are no longer optional.
“Service excellence is no longer optional. It is the currency of global competitiveness.”
At ZBFH, we take this to heart. Our investment in technology, staff training, and customer feedback mechanisms is designed to ensure we remain at the forefront of customer satisfaction in Zimbabwe.
SOSES 2025 Findings: Methodology That Earns Trust
Understanding the methodology behind SOSES 2025 is crucial because it demonstrates the rigour and independence that make this survey credible. Consumer Feedback Consultancy, our research partner, employed a triangulated approach that combined three critical perspectives:
What Customers Say: Quantitative Consumer Surveys
The research team surveyed 2,250 individuals across all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe, using the 2022 Zimstat Census Sampling Frame to ensure representative coverage. This B2C component captured real customer experiences, expectations, and satisfaction levels across multiple service touchpoints-from banking halls and hospital waiting rooms to school payment points and retail checkouts.
What Institutions Report: B2B Engagement
Beyond consumer voices, SOSES engaged approximately 500 corporates, including large corporations, MSMEs, NGOs, and parastatals. This B2B sample provided institutional perspectives on service delivery challenges, resource constraints, and operational realities that shape customer experience.
What Researchers Observed: Experiential Research
Perhaps most tellingly, the research team conducted mystery shopping exercises, experiencing firsthand what customers encounter daily. They stood in queues, made phone calls, visited offices, and interacted with service providers as ordinary customers would. This experiential layer ensured that the data wasn't just self-reported—it was lived and verified.
Frameworks and Indices
SOSES 2025 is built on global and regional frameworks, incorporating international KPIs and the foundational Service Quality (SERVQUAL) model, which measures tangibility, reliability, empathy, and assurance. The survey produces four key indices:
CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index): Overall satisfaction with service
CX (Customer Experience): Quality of the customer journey
CE (Customer Effort): Ease of doing business
SSI (Sectorial SOSES Service Index): Aggregate sector performance
This entails a rigorous three-step validation process encompassing sectoral reviews, data congruency checks, and qualitative verification. The process is overseen by an adjudication committee of experts in finance, human capital, digital innovation, real estate, and SME development. The result, as declared by the adjudication chair, is a process that is independent, robust, and credible.
Financial Sector Insights - SOSES 2025, Powered by ZBFH
Financial Services: Digital Expectations Rising
The financial services sector posted a Customer Satisfaction Index of 79%, a Customer Effort score of 71%, and a Customer Experience rating of 76%. The Sectorial SOSES Service Index of 75% represents a 4% improvement over the previous year, which is evidence of the sector responding to customer needs.
However, performance varied significantly, with individual institutions scoring between 68% and 84%. At ZBFH, we're proud to be part of a sector that is improving, but we recognize that customer satisfaction in banking must keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital expectations. Customers increasingly expect seamless digital platforms, transparent processes, and personalized service; standards we're working hard to exceed.
Microfinance: Speed and Simplicity Matter
Microfinance performed strongly, with a CSI of 82%, CE of 72%, CX of 75%, and SSI of 76%. Customers value fast approvals and simple applications, but they're also beginning to expect the same digital sophistication and personalized attention found in larger financial institutions. The range (69% to 82%) shows room for consistency improvements across the subsector.
“For us, this is more than statistics. It is a call to action.”
What SOSES Revealed About Customer Expectations
Digital Expectations Are Universal
From banking to healthcare, from insurance to transport, customers expect functional digital platforms, transparent online tracking, and user-friendly apps. Digital is no longer a luxury or a competitive advantage; it's a baseline expectation.
The Human Experience Defines Satisfaction
Even in transactional sectors, empathy, staff warmth, and effective communication repeatedly emerge as decisive factors. Technology enables service, but people deliver it. Training staff in customer-centric attitudes is as important as investing in infrastructure.
Reliability and Punctuality Are Non-Negotiable
Whether it's an airline departure, an insurance claim settlement, or a bank transaction, customers expect what they've been promised, when they've been promised it. Reliability builds trust; inconsistency destroys it.
Information and Guidance Are Valued
Customers increasingly want advice, not just transactions. Whether it's a farmer seeking planting guidance, a patient needing treatment options, or a parent choosing a school, providing information that reduces uncertainty is itself a service.
Variation Within Sectors Signals Opportunity
Large performance gaps within sectors (e.g., government vs. private education, government vs. private healthcare) suggest that improvement is possible. The best performers prove what's achievable; the challenge is scaling those practices across the sector.
ZBFH's Customer Service Commitments: Our Action Plan
The insights from SOSES 2025 reinforce our commitment at ZB Financial Holdings to lead by example in delivering exceptional customer experiences. Here's how we're translating these findings into action:
Accelerating Digital Transformation
We're investing in next-generation digital platforms that make banking easier, faster, and more transparent. From mobile banking apps to online account management, we're ensuring our customers can bank on their terms, anytime, anywhere.
Humanizing Every Interaction
Technology is a tool, not a replacement for human connection. We're intensifying staff training focused on empathy, communication, and problem-solving. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate that we value the people we serve.
Reducing Customer Effort
We're systematically identifying and eliminating friction points in our customer journeys. Whether it's streamlining loan applications, simplifying account opening, or speeding up query resolution, we're committed to making banking effortless.
Transparency and Accountability
We're enhancing our feedback mechanisms so customers can easily share their experiences, whether positive or negative. Transparency builds trust, and we're committed to being accountable for the service we deliver.
Continuous Improvement Culture
SOSES is not a one-time event for us; it's an annual benchmark that keeps us honest. We're embedding a culture of continuous improvement where every team member understands that customer satisfaction is everyone's responsibility.
Conclusion: Service as the Currency of Competitiveness
SOSES 2025, powered by ZBFH, confirms what we've long believed: in today's economy, service excellence is the ultimate competitive advantage. Organisations that embrace customer centricity, invest in their people, leverage technology thoughtfully, and measure themselves honestly will thrive. Those who don't will be left behind.
At ZB Financial Holdings, we're committed to being on the right side of this divide. Our sponsorship of SOSES reflects our belief that transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement are not just business strategies; they're moral imperatives.
We owe our customers nothing less than world-class service, and we're investing every day to deliver it. Service beyond boundaries isn't just a theme; it's a commitment. And at ZB Financial Holdings, it's a commitment we're proud to champion, measure, and fulfill every single day.
FAQ - SOSES 2025, Powered by ZBFH
Here are answers to common questions about the State of the Service Economy Survey.
What is SOSES? +
The State of the Service Economy Survey (SOSES) is an annual national benchmark launched in 2023 that measures customer satisfaction across Zimbabwe's service sectors. It examines 12 major industries, including financial services, health, education, transport, telecommunications, retail, agriculture, and insurance.
Who conducts SOSES? +
SOSES is conducted by Consumer Feedback Consultancy in partnership with ZB Financial Holdings, The Financial Gazette, and Tatu Advertising. An independent adjudication committee of sector experts validates the methodology and findings.
How is the data collected? +
SOSES uses a triangulated approach: surveying 2,250 consumers across all 10 provinces, engaging 500 corporates, and conducting experiential research, including mystery shopping. The methodology is based on global frameworks and produces CSI, CX, CE, and SSI indices.
How can we participate in SOSES 2026? +
Contact ZBFH or Consumer Feedback Consultancy to participate in next year's survey as a respondent organisation or to engage with the research process.
