Staff Writer
The Zimbabwe Association of Pension Funds (ZAPF) is shifting its focus from strategy formulation to measurable execution as pension funds confront growing risks from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, climate change and an increasingly complex investment environment.
ZAPF director-general Sandra Musevenzo said the association’s 2024–2026 Strategic Plan had moved beyond being a policy document and was now being implemented through a results-driven framework designed to demonstrate tangible value to member funds.
“As we gather for the 7th Principal Officers and Chairmen’s Convention, I am proud to reaffirm ZAPF’s commitment to a strategy that finishes with proof,” Musevenzo said.
“Our 2024–2026 Strategic Plan is no longer an abstract document; it is a disciplined execution engine built on the Balanced Scorecard, linking our institutional capacity to measurable member value.”
The association will bring together pension fund principal officers, board chairpersons and industry stakeholders in Bulawayo from October 1 to 3 for its seventh annual convention, which is being held under the theme “Leading Beyond Uncertainty.”
Musevenzo said ZAPF was adopting a more disciplined approach to accountability, with each strategic priority assigned clear responsibility and measurable outcomes.
“We are moving with clarity and accountability: one owner, one KPI, one evidence source, one review date,” she said.
By December 2026, ZAPF expects its five flagship products — Intelligence, Advocacy, Academy, Digital Service and the Annual Member Value Statement — to demonstrate recurring value to member funds.
The convention will provide a platform to interrogate how pension fund boards can strengthen governance and decision-making while responding to technological and environmental changes affecting the sector.
ZAPF chairman Wonder Madyambudzi, who is also Business Development and Investments Executive for Employee Benefits at Zimnat Life Assurance, is expected to officially open the convention with the welcome address.
The programme will also feature Bothwell Patrick Nyajeka, Industrial and New Business Cluster CEO at Masawara Group and chairman of Zimnat Life Assurance, who will lead discussions on “The Future-Ready Board.”
Nyajeka, a chartered accountant and executive coach, brings more than three decades of leadership experience across manufacturing, agribusiness, banking and financial services, including senior CFO and CEO positions.
As pension funds increasingly operate in an environment shaped by technological disruption and changing member expectations, the session is expected to examine how boards can remain effective, responsive and strategically focused.
Cybersecurity will form another major strand of the convention, with Agrippa Mugwagwa, managing director of Xarani (Pvt) Ltd, FBC Holdings’ fintech arm, scheduled to lead a session on cybersecurity governance.
The session will examine the growing exposure of pension funds to cyber threats as digitalisation and artificial intelligence reshape financial services.
Mugwagwa has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, banking, marketing and product innovation, including work in fintech and digital transformation.
The programme will also broaden the discussion beyond technology and governance to climate and sustainability issues.
Dr Chipo Ndudzo, managing director of Providence Human Capital, will address climate-related financial disclosures and ESG assurance, focusing on the growing importance of climate disclosure, assurance and sustainability considerations for pension funds.
Ndudzo is a corporate finance and human-capital specialist who advises boards on sustainability, ESG and organisational performance. Her academic and professional background includes a BCom, MBA, PhD in Management of Information and Technology and CIMA qualifications.
The convention will also feature Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Mkwanda Ncube, who is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.
Her participation adds a public-sector and provincial development dimension to discussions on the role of institutions in supporting economic development.
For ZAPF, the convention comes at a time when pension fund boards are being called upon to balance governance responsibilities with investment performance, technological change, member expectations and emerging sustainability risks.
Musevenzo said the convention formed part of the association’s broader execution agenda.
“This Convention is part of that journey. It strengthens the partnerships, governance discipline and digital transformation that define our finish line,” she said.
“Together, we choose focus, we accept accountability, and we will finish with proof.”
The three-day programme is expected to leave pension fund leaders with practical insights into strengthening board effectiveness, managing emerging risks and preparing their institutions for a rapidly changing operating environment.
