The 2023 Zim Afro T10 was the inaugural season of the Zim Afro T10. The tournament was played from 21 to 29 July at the Harare Sports Club. In the final, Durban Qalandars defeated Joburg Buffaloes by eight wickets to win the inaugural title.
The league was founded by Shaji Ul Mulk, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi T10 league. The Zimbabwe edition was announced at the final of the 2022 Abu Dhabi T10 with the inaugural edition expected to take place in 2023.
After the tournament Zimbabwe Cricket and Pakistan Super League Lahore Qalandars signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase the exchange of tallent between the two countries. The agreement includes eight young Zimbabwean cricketers going to Pakistan for a four-month player development program at the franchise's high-performance center in Lahore, starting on 1 September. The Qalandars will reciprocate by sending five Pakistani fast bowlers â with bowling speeds of 140-plus kilometers per hour â to play domestic cricket in Zimbabwe.
Five teams competed in the first edition of the league:
Players were chosen in a draft which took place on 3 July 2023. Each team had to select a minimum of 16 players for their squad, including a minimum of six Zimbabweans, including one classified as an "emerging player". As part of the pre-draft, each team selected four players for their squads as marquee players.
A total of 700 players from 23 cricket playing countries participated in the draft. Zimbabwean batsman Sean Williams was the first pick.
The full fixtures were confirmed on 10 July 2023.
The play-offs ran for two days and the top four teams from the league stage advanced.