Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has insisted that it will remain a public company, even after migrating from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) to the Over-the-Counter (OTC) platform on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX).
Its operations, it said will be regulated by the Companies and Other Business Entities Act (“COBE”). According to the Act, a public company is a company that has more than 50 shareholders and such a company has special conditions it is required to meet to protect minority shareholders.
In a circular to shareholder last week, the company said Econet’s shares will continue to trade as a public company on the OTC platform of the VFEX, a recognised exchange with billions in value invested on it.
“The OTC is a trading arrangement, subject to certain trading rules, which involves market participants such as stock brokers, similar to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange,” an official said.
“Crucially, the company has committed to buying back shares in cash at a set reference price if minority investors fail to secure buyers at higher valuations. This creates a guaranteed exit floor at a substantial premium to the prevailing market price, offering downside protection while preserving upside potential,” the official added.
Shareholders that have sold their shares in the last three years have sold them at effective prices averaging between 10 cents and 20 cents, resulting in a significant loss in value. Some of these shareholders are pensioners that have lost the value of their earnings, accrued over a lifetime of investment.
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The proposed liquidity mechanism by the company will provide the much needed liquidity for the exit of the minorities and assures investors that they can still sell their shares at the guaranteed floor price. For investors who choose to remain, the mechanism implies an immediate uplift in valuation, an uncommon and very attractive, investor-friendly feature in the proposed transaction.
Analysts said by moving to the VFEX-OTC platform, Econet is seeking value-creation for its shareholders while maintaining a broad shareholder base.
At an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled for 26 February 2026, shareholders will decide whether or not to accept the offer from the company.