Mkhululi Ncube, [email protected]
MATABELELAND South is targeting a major industrialisation push under its new Provincial Economic Development Plan 2 (PEDP2), with a cement and fertiliser processing plant under construction in Beitbridge expected to contribute to the province’s economic transformation.
The province is targeting to increase its provincial gross domestic product (GDP) to US$3,485 billion by 2030, from a 2,4 percent growth baseline recorded in 2024, as it seeks to leverage its mineral wealth, strategic border posts, agriculture and renewable energy potential.
The five-year PEDP2, covering the period 2026 to 2030, is being crafted by Government officials, local authorities, farmers, women, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other stakeholders at a five-day workshop in Bulawayo.
Officially opening the workshop yesterday, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe said the province had numerous opportunities that needed to be harnessed to achieve its development targets.
“Under the strategic targets for PEDP2, we are charting a bold trajectory towards Vision 2030, anchored on accelerating our economic growth beyond the 2,4 percent baseline recorded in 2024,” he said.
“We seek to drive our Provincial GDP to US$3,485 billion and push our GDP per capita to US$4 200 by 2030. Concurrently, we aim to expand our gainful employment rate from its baseline toward an ambitious target of 55 percent while maintaining single-digit inflation below 5 percent.”
With Matabeleland South endowed with vast mineral resources, Minister Nguluvhe said mineral beneficiation would be central to the province’s economic growth strategy.
He said the province would seek to move away from exporting raw minerals by promoting local processing and manufacturing.
“We are capitalising on our unique strategic capabilities. Critical mineral beneficiation that is harnessing gold, lithium, limestone, chrome and coal. We must convert raw extraction into local industrial processing such as expanding our lithium processing plants and finalising major cement and fertiliser manufacturing plants in the province by mid-2027,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
He said Jintao was constructing a processing plant in Beitbridge where cement and fertiliser production was expected to be undertaken.
“I am aware that Jintao has a power plant in Beitbridge. Currently, they are constructing a processing plant where they want to start to produce cement and fertiliser,” said the minister.
He said the province’s strategic location and network of border posts also presented opportunities for expanding trade and investment.
Minister Nguluvhe said the province is capitalising on its unique strategic capabilities that include gateway logistics and investment by capitalising on its border posts — Beitbridge, Plumtree, Maitengwe, Mphoengs and Mlambapele as regional transit corridors and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) frameworks.
“We are developing bankable investment-ready projects with Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (Zida) and improving our ease-of-doing-business environment,” he said.
Agriculture and agro-processing will also be prioritised under PEDP2, with the province seeking to develop its livestock and horticulture value chains.
Minister Nguluvhe said the province would leverage sweet veld cattle production and citrus value chains to develop cold-chain agro-industrial hubs while expanding climate-smart irrigation and Village Business Units (VBUs).
He said all districts should establish VBUs to strengthen food security, citing Beitbridge as an example of a district that had increased local production of vegetables and green mealies that were previously sourced from Harare and Bulawayo.
Energy, human capital development and infrastructure are also expected to feature prominently in the new provincial plan.
The minister said the province is also expanding renewable energy, integrating micro to small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women and youth into mainstream value chains and accelerating strategic infrastructure.
“We are closing the STEM gap by completing and equipping our 41 legacy science laboratories, expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trade testing across all 7 districts and completing key water projects like the Tuli Manyange Dam,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
Speaking at the same occasion, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Willard Manhungo, who was represented at the workshop, said the development of PEDP2 was critical in ensuring that provincial development priorities reflected local realities.
He said provinces had diverse interests and competing priorities, which required dialogue and engagement to develop coherent development agendas.
“The development of provincial economic development plans marks a significant shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to development towards a model that recognises the diversity of Zimbabwe’s provinces. Each province possesses unique natural endowments, economic opportunities, cultural heritage, human capital, and geographical advantages,” he said.
Dr Manhungo said harnessing these distinctive strengths requires deliberate planning that reflects the local realities while remaining firmly aligned with national priorities.
“Provincial plans therefore provide a structured framework for identifying competitive advantages and promoting investment opportunities, promoting industrialisation, creating employment and improving the quality of life for citizens within each province,” he said.
Permanent Secretary for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mrs Latiso Dlamini-Maseko said the workshop was critical as the province sought to translate its identified opportunities into measurable development outcomes.
“The purpose of our gathering over the coming days is to translate our sectoral situational analysis into actionable, results-based strategic priorities. We are here to deliberate on concrete deliverables such as establishing provincial gold and mineral beneficiation plants, expanding green energy solar mini-grids, formalising our vibrant MSME and artisanal mining sectors, and accelerating water and road infrastructure projects,” she said.
