Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Bulawayo City Council is targeting pension funds and local financial institutions to mobilise resources to support development initiatives and investment projects around the metropolitan province.
This is contained in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Economic Growth and Stability Thematic Working Group third-quarter report.
The report notes that Bulawayo Province’s economic performance in the second half of 2025 presents a compelling case for a targeted, evidence-based strategy to drive industrial regeneration and broad-based economic empowerment.
The analysis indicates that while the province continues to grapple with the historical challenges of deindustrialisation, its foundational strengths, notably the highest proportion of formal businesses in the country (40,4 percent), position it as a strategic national leader in the final year of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“The City of Bulawayo’s commitment to reindustrialisation and economic growth is exemplified by its aggressive pursuit of new investments,” reads the report.
“During the first half of 2025, the city hosted the inaugural Khumbul’ekhaya Investment Conference in Harare, where it showcased an array of lucrative opportunities to potential investors, particularly targeting the diaspora and major financial institutions like the National Social Security Authority (Nssa) and the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec).”
According to the report, a clear list of planned projects has emerged from these efforts, which include a proposed US$150 million industrial park at Umvumila, with 188 hectares of land already allocated for the initiative, waste-to-energy projects to manage solid waste and generate power, and the construction of solar farms to ensure a stable energy supply for industries.
The city also plans the renovation and construction of sporting facilities and public amenities, and new investment in residential housing, driven by the backlog of over 110 000 units.
The city authorities explicitly target Nssa and pension funds for these projects in a critical, NDS1-aligned strategy that demonstrates a pivot away from sole reliance on foreign direct investment (FDI) and a strategic focus on mobilising domestic capital to finance national and provincial development.
“This approach addresses the historical challenge of a capital vacuum and offers a sustainable model for funding long-term infrastructure and industrial projects,” said the province.
“The report argues for a more formal and structured mechanism for this partnership to ensure that these domestic resources are effectively channelled toward projects with a high developmental impact.”
Meanwhile, the Bulawayo City Council said a landmark development in the second half of 2025 was the revival of the Cold Storage Company (CSC), a strategic national asset.
The local authority said the completion of the company’s judicial management and its placement under the Mutapa Investment Fund has paved the way for its operational resurrection.
“CSC is now operational with slaughtering activities currently underway and the refurbishment of its cold chain line almost complete,” said the city.
“This revitalisation is a critical boost for Bulawayo’s meat-processing value chain, creating backward linkages to the agricultural sector and forward linkages to logistics and export markets.
“It signifies a major step in reclaiming the city’s status as a hub for agro-processing.”
