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THE third edition of the Africa Infrastructure and Built Environment Conference (AfriConfex) has kicked off in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition and Conference Smart City (ZIECS), bringing together local and international experts in the construction, engineering and transport sectors.
Running under the theme “Smart Moves: Powering Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Evolution,” the 2025 edition of AfriConfex places a strong spotlight on economic development through infrastructure investment, technology integration and sustainable urban development.
Zimpapers Business hub reporters, Nqobile Bhebhe, Sikhulekelani Moyo and chief photographer, Eliah Saushoma will be giving us live updates from the event.
Minister Mhona to officially open AfriConfex
Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, is expected to officially open the high-profile three day event after touring the exhibition stands showcasing innovation and progress in the built environment.
Billed as the country’s largest gathering for the construction and infrastructure value chain, the conference and exhibition (Confex) brings together policy-makers, investors, engineers, architects and suppliers to explore opportunities for collaboration and growth.
The first two editions of AfriConfex successfully established the event as a premier platform for knowledge exchange, business expansion, networking and learning while offering practical engagement for participants eager to stay ahead of regional and global trends.
As indigenous contractors position themselves for participation in regional and international projects, AfriConfex provides a vital space to explore emerging opportunities and challenges from new technologies and construction standards to evolving international labour markets and legal frameworks.
The ZITF Company, in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, introduced the conference in 2022 in response to Zimbabwe’s accelerated infrastructure drive, aligned with Government’s Vision 2030 to attain an upper-middle-income economy.
By convening key stakeholders to deliberate on trends, challenges and opportunities shaping Africa’s construction and infrastructure landscape, AfriConfex 2025 plays a crucial role in fostering innovation, partnerships, and investment critical to Zimbabwe’s and the continent’s growth aspirations.
Transport Minister praises exhibitors at Africonfex Expo
TRANSPORT and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona has applauded players in the construction sector who have managed to showcase their goods and services during the third AfriConfex, running at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition and Conference Smart City in Bulawayo.
The event, which is running under the theme: “Smart Moves: Powering Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Evolution, is being hosted by Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development and Zimbabwe Construction Industry Association.
The expo started with a tour, where Minister Mhona toured different stands exhibiting goods and services in the construction and transport sector.
In an interview after the tour, Minister Mhona said the exhibitions resonate well with this year’s theme.
He said infrastructure development is an economic enabler, working closely with the extractive sector.
“The essence of putting Africonfex and Mine Entra is a very pertinent one where you know that when we talk of transport as an economic enabler versus the extraction industry, it is very important,” said Minister Mhona.
“I’m happy that what I have seen, so far so good and we are happy, ready to start the conference.”
International exhibitors eye lucrative deals at Mine Entra
This year’s Mine Entra edition has started on a higher note with international exhibitors looking forward to clinching business deals with Zimbabwean players in the mining sector.
Running under the theme: “Beyond Extraction: Sustaining the Future of Mining, the event is running concurrently with the Africa Infrastructure and Built Environment Confex.
The events have brought in players in the mining sector and those in the construction sector, with suppliers showcasing light and heavy-duty machinery and equipment, protective clothing, chemicals, and different services that are critical for the two sectors.
In an interview, Mr Jay Patel, who is a first-time exhibitor from India, said: “We operate in India, but we want to explore opportunities in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.”
“We want to take advantage of this Mine Entra to create partnerships and synergies.”
AfriConfex bridges policy, practice and investment in built environment
The ongoing Africa Infrastructure and Built Environment Conference (AfriConfex) in Bulawayo has been described as a pivotal platform where policy meets practice, capital intersects with construction, and ideas converge with implementers and financiers.
The conference serves as a space where some of the most pressing national and continental developmental challenges are subjected to collaborative and rigorous dialogue.
In his opening remarks, Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company board chairman, Dr Busisa Moyo, described the three-day event as a strategic gathering for advancing the built environment in Zimbabwe.
He said the convening of this august event right here at the Zimbabwe International Conference at the Exhibition in Smart City shows our mandate as the ZITF Company transcends the hosting of exhibitions, but also we serve as a critical convener where policy meets practice, where capital intersects with construction and where ideas meet implementers and financiers and where the most pressing national and continental developmental challenges are subjected to collaborative and rigorous dialogue.
Dr Moyo recalled that when the event was launched in 2022, its initial focus was on exploring industrial linkages within the mining value chain.
“The subsequent 2024 edition highlighted the imperative to build sustainable infrastructure for resilient economic growth, essential for a thriving Africa,” added Dr Moyo.
He said this year’s edition builds on that foundation, advancing the conversation under the theme “Smart Moves, Powering Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Evolution.”
“Today, we move forward under the theme ‘Smart Moves, Powering Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Evolution,’ and this theme compels us to explore how we can collectively implement innovative, efficient technology to build a truly modern and interconnected Zimbabwe, thereby amplifying the nation’s contribution on the continent’s overall development and integration,” he said.
Introduced in 2022 by the ZITF Company in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the conference was conceived in response to Zimbabwe’s accelerated infrastructure drive aligned with Government’s Vision 2030, which seeks to attain an upper-middle-income economy.
By bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on trends, challenges and opportunities shaping Africa’s construction and infrastructure landscape, AfriConfex 2025 continues to play a vital role in fostering innovation, partnerships, and investment critical to Zimbabwe’s and the continent’s growth aspirations.
Infrastructure the backbone of progress: Minister Mhona
Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, has underscored the centrality of infrastructure to national progress, declaring it a “key ingredient for sustainable development.”
Delivering his keynote address at the official opening of the three-day AfriConfex 2025 in Bulawayo, the Minister said this year’s theme, “Smart Moves: Powering Zimbabwe’s Infrastructure Evolution,” challenges the nation to reconceptualise infrastructure beyond brick and mortar as an enabler of transformation and inclusive growth.
“All countries need efficient transport, housing, sanitation, energy, and communication systems to prosper and provide a decent standard of living for their populations,” he said.
Minister Mhona emphasised that robust infrastructure systems form the foundation for eradicating poverty and creating employment in developing economies like Zimbabwe.
“It is apparent that infrastructure development is a prerequisite for poverty alleviation and employment creation in developing countries such as Zimbabwe,” he noted.
He, however, lamented the historic underperformance of the infrastructure sector, attributing the decline to a myriad of challenges.
He said for far too long, the performance of the country’s infrastructure sector has been declining due to many factors including a lack of an integrated approach in infrastructure investment, inadequate funding for capital and operational expenditure, capacity constraints due to the migration of skilled personnel, procurement delays, and poor contract management.
To address these structural impediments, Minister Mhona said Government, under the stewardship y President Mnangagwa, has implemented corrective policy measures aimed at revitalising the sector.
Meanwhile, the Minister lauded the City of Bulawayo for its exceptional standards of cleanliness and organisation, calling it a shining example of urban smartness.
“I hope that the spirit of smartness spreads throughout the country,” he said also expressing delight at the ambiance and organisation of the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, the venue of the landmark AfriConfex summit.
Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway rehabilitation to be completed by mid-2026
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has expressed confidence that the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway will be completed by mid-2026, marking a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s infrastructure modernisation drive.
Speaking during the AfriConfex three-day engagement in Bulawayo, Minister Mhona said Government was accelerating road development across the country as part of efforts to transform the national transport network.
“I am sure you have seen that we started not only to make highways but even roads within our localities,” said Minister Mhona.
“On the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway, we have got eight contractors on that road.
“And come 2026, mid-year, we will be done with that entire road network, right up to Victoria Park,” he added.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway is a strategic economic artery, linking Zimbabwe to regional neighbours including Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.
It facilitates the movement of goods, services and thousands of local and international tourists travelling to the world-famous Victoria Falls.
Once complete, the upgraded highway is expected to boost tourism, enhance regional trade and stimulate economic activity, particularly in Matabeleland North Province.
The project forms part of the Second Republic’s broader thrust to modernise national infrastructure, improve connectivity and promote regional integration through an efficient transport system.
Contractors praise Second Republic for empowering local players
Contractors have applauded the Second Republic’s initiative to empower local players, saying that this has allowed them to procure specialised equipment and create much-needed employment.
In a panel discussion during the Africonfex Conference, Asphalt managing director Eng Francis Mangwendeza said the coming in of the Second Republic has seen local contractors being awarded tenders to undertake different infrastructure rehabilitation projects across the country.
“Thank you Honourable Minister, for empowering local contractors, if you can pass my gratitude to President Mnangagwa, we are now able to procure specialised equipment, which will help us improve our work,” said Eng Mangwendeza.
“Also, this allows local contractors to employ locals, playing a key role in employment creation.”
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