A market research conducted by the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in 2020, indicated that participation by individual Zimbabweans on the local capital market was marginal. Some of the barriers cited included lack of appreciation of the investment process and the perception that investment is for the sophisticated.

The results from this survey prompted the ZSE to launch ZSE Direct, a product that would make accessing the market very simple even for first time investors. ZSE Direct, an in-house development, was launched in September 2020 and provides retail investors with a smart way to manage their ZSE investments and view their Central Securities Depository (CSD) holdings remotely.