The Lusaka Securities Exchange (LuSE) has been awarded the Securities Exchange of the Year and Most Innovative Multi-Asset Trading Platform for 2025 by the Pan Finance Awards on 17 May 2025.
The awards followed a review of submissions that assessed the Exchange’s innovation, sustainability, global integration, impact, and community engagement.
The LuSE is currently implementing a five-year strategic plan titled “Sustainable Business Growth – Anchoring Capital Market and Economic Development.”
In 2024, the LuSE was among the top five best-performing exchanges in Africa, recording a cumulative annual gain of 43% in local currency and 39% in US Dollar terms.
In 2025, the exchange extended its trading hours from 4 to 5 per day and introduced Zambia’s first US Dollar-denominated Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
It also completed the listing of the second tranche of the CEC Renewables Green Bond, bringing total green bond issuances to USD 150.266 million.
It is currently implementing several initiatives to increase investor participation, including its “Teach a 1000 Learners” programme and plans to launch the “LuSE Academy,” a self-administered financial education portal.
Accepting the award, LuSE Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Kabaso expressed gratitude to all stakeholders, attributing the recognition to the Exchange’s strategic repositioning efforts.
He said the award reflects the implementation of the Board’s vision to re-establish LuSE as a central institution for the capital market and economic development in Zambia.
“The Board has been very clear in their expectations that the Exchange must get back to the basics of why it exists, for it to meet the demands of modern capital markets,” Kabaso said.
“At the core of this is the need for us to ensure an effective regulatory environment which fosters trust and confidence in the market. Therefore, this award today is a living example of the fruits of the journey we are on as LuSE. Today, we have just reclaimed our place.”
Commenting on Zambia’s investment environment, Kabaso stated that the country remains one of Africa’s most attractive investment destinations due to its untapped natural resources and business-friendly reforms.
He added that Zambia’s GDP is expected to grow above 5% in the medium term, supported by a robust private sector and an enabling fiscal regime.
Growth sectors include ICT, telecommunications, financial services, agriculture, energy, water, and construction.
He thanked the Pan Finance Awards panel for raising the visibility of Zambia’s capital markets, saying the recognition will help attract more investment to the Exchange.
About LuSe
The Lusaka Securities Exchange Plc (LuSE) is Zambia’s main securities exchange.
It operates markets in equity, fixed income, and exchange-traded products, supported by a regulatory framework and trading technology.
For the past 30 years, it has served as a platform for capital formation and investment in Zambia.
