Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE must transform from a transit town celebrated for its potential into a high-productivity industrial and tourism hub if it is to make a meaningful contribution to Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2.
This was said yesterday by Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Albert Nguluvhe at a breakfast meeting he hosted for businesspeople in Beitbridge in partnership with Beitbridge Municipality and Beitbridge Rural District Council.
The meeting, held under the theme “From Potential to Productivity: Unlocking Beitbridge’s Economic Potential”, brought together Government officials, captains of industry, SMEs, exhibitors and local authorities to discuss partnerships and investment opportunities.
Minister Nguluvhe said Beitbridge was no longer just a border post, but the beating heart of Zimbabwe’s trade corridor and the primary inland gateway connecting Southern Africa to regional and international markets.
He said the breakfast meetings were being rolled out across all seven districts in the province to unlock investment and economic development opportunities in line with the devolution agenda.
“For generations, Beitbridge has been celebrated for its potential. We handle massive daily cargo volumes and sit directly on the regional trade spine,” he said.
“But geographic location alone is merely a natural advantage; it is not economic output. Potential is static. It does not pay wages, create value, build industrial infrastructure or grow an economy.
“To convert location into sustainable industrial output, business strategies must be climate-smart and confront the realities of recurring El Niño phenomena, which bring severe dry spells, high temperatures and strain supply chains, agro-processing, water and power supplies, as well as consumer demand.”
To transition into a high-productivity industrial hub, Minister Nguluvhe said Beitbridge must focus on three core pillars.
These include strategic logistics and cold-chain infrastructure, including temperature-controlled bonded warehousing and truck maintenance hubs; solar energy harvesting to turn the town’s high solar irradiation into a competitive advantage; and localised value addition through light manufacturing, citrus processing, beef canning and tanneries.
“The distinction between potential and productivity is action. Beitbridge’s potential has already been proven by its geography; its productivity must now be proven by its business leaders,” he said.
He said the greatest barrier to productivity was not a lack of capital but the implementation gap, adding that the Government was committed to making the ease of doing business a reality at all levels.
“Let us desist from working in silos. No one and no place should be left behind. Productivity is a team sport. Joint ventures between local players and international technology partners are key to unlocking valuable investments,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
“Let us utilise consortiums as local players to implement or participate in larger projects that may be too capital-intensive for individual companies.”
Acting Deputy Director in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for Matabeleland South, Ms Lavender Ncube, said the province must leverage its strategic advantages to drive industrialisation and local economic development.
She said the Government was pushing for the establishment of industrial parks to provide affordable working space for SMEs, enhance productivity and attract investment, especially along strategic corridors such as Beitbridge.
Ms Ncube said the province must also take advantage of the 21 sectors reserved for Zimbabweans to grow the economy and create jobs.
Beitbridge business representative Mr Maxwell Ngwenya welcomed the platform and the call for collaboration.
“We welcome this platform created by the Minister and the two local authorities. It is an eye-opener for us as local businesses,” he said. “The call for us to form consortiums and collaborate on major investment projects is very progressive.
“Most of us have been working in silos and failing to undertake large projects because of capital constraints. If we come together as Beitbridge businesses, we can invest in warehousing, logistics and manufacturing.”
