Annual Returns in Zimbabwe: What Companies File and When

The annual return is your company's yearly statement to the Companies Registry of who runs it, who owns it and where it is. It is short — but it is only as accurate as the records behind it.

Compliance note — annual returns
Under the Companies and Other Business Entities Act [Chapter 24:31], companies must file an annual return with the Registrar each year, tied to the anniversary of incorporation, setting out prescribed particulars including the registered office, directors and secretary, and share capital and members. Late filing attracts penalties, and persistent non-filing can lead to the company being struck off.
Source: Companies and Other Business Entities Act [Chapter 24:31]. Confirm the current filing window, forms and fees with the Companies Registry.

What the annual return covers

• Company name, registration number and registered office.
• Directors and company secretary.
• Share capital — classes and shares issued.
• Members and their holdings.
• The date the return is made up to.

Why returns stall

• A director resigned but was never end-dated.
• A share transfer was agreed but never recorded in the register of members.
• The registered office moved.
• Share capital in the register does not add up.

How YoBridge prepares it

YoBridge creates an annual return item on each company's compliance calendar from its registration anniversary, then:

1. Checks readiness against the live registers and lists exactly what is incomplete.
2. Previews the statutory PDF generated from your data — no retyping.
3. Freezes a snapshot so the version you file is always reproducible.
4. Records certification — who certified and when.
5. Stores the filing evidence once you have filed with the Registry.

Filing with the Companies Registry itself is done by you, and recorded in YoBridge with your evidence; direct electronic submission will be added when the Registry makes it available. Your NSSA and ZIMRA returns, by contrast, YoBridge files directly.

See annual returns in YoBridge.

General guidance only, not legal advice.