Over 370 Pension Funds Face Dissolution

More than 370 of Zimbabwe’s pension funds faced possible dissolution at the end of last year.

According to a report by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) for the nine months ending 30 September 2025, more than half of the country’s registered occupational pension funds were inactive.

IPEC said Zimbabwe currently has 968 registered occupational pension funds. It said:

“As at September 30, 2025, there were 968 registered occupational pension funds, unchanged from the 968 recorded as at June 30, 2025.

“Out of 968 registered funds, 479 (49,5%) were active, while 489 (50,5%) were inactive. Among the inactive funds, 372 (76%) were awaiting dissolution.”

The report also confirmed that the pension funds for the National Aids Council, Trust Holdings, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, and the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority have been deregistered.

Deregistration happens when a fund stops operating and cancels its registration. IPEC said that even inactive funds must continue to report until they are officially closed.

Even though many pension funds are inactive, which can put members at risk, some active funds are still performing well.

Total pension contributions for the quarter rose sharply to US$225.89 million, up from US$148.35 million in the same period last year.

The amount of unpaid contributions from employers fell by 9%, showing that active funds are keeping up with payment schedules.

Membership in pension funds also grew by 17%, from one million to 1.2 million, including beneficiaries.

Much of this growth came from reinstating 178,988 inactive members in the Construction Industry Pension Fund, plus 6,582 new members across other funds.

More: The Independent