Online Reporter
FOR years, the narrative surrounding Bulawayo has been one of nostalgia and decline. The moniker Kontuthu Ziyathunqa — the smoke that bellows — often felt like a memorial to a bygone era, a reminder of an industrial prowess that had faded into memory.
But today, a new story is being written, not in the smoke of the past, but in the light of modern robotic factories and the vibrant hum of innovation hubs.
Bulawayo is not just remembering its legacy; it is actively building its future, and in doing so, it is providing a tangible blueprint for the national vision of a self-sustaining Zimbabwe.
Recently, Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu issued a powerful call to action, urging Bulawayo to champion home-grown products and create a self-sustaining economic ecosystem. He spoke of reigniting the city’s furnaces and forging a new era of industrial dynamism that is “smarter, more resilient and proudly Zimbabwean.”
Some might have heard this as a hopeful aspiration. However, the on-the-ground report from Provincial Affairs Secretary Paul Nyoni confirms it is already a reality in progress.
The revival is being driven by a dual-track strategy that other provinces would do well to study: the simultaneous modernisation of legacy industries and the deliberate empowerment of a new generation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
On one track, we see high-tech behemoths emerging. The confectionery factory producing 180 000 loaves a day with a handful of workers is not a symbol of job loss, but of global competitiveness. It represents the “smarter” and more resilient industry that the Minister envisioned.
The evolution of employment — where a lean manufacturing team is supported by a large sales and distribution workforce — addresses the legitimate fear of automation. It shows that the jobs of the future are different, not nonexistent.
On the other track, we see the grassroots engine of the economy being supercharged. The establishment of a fully-equipped SME Centre and the country’s only computerised design suite for leather goods are not mere projects; they are strategic investments in national capability.
They enable the small-scale producer to meet retail standards, to innovate, and to formalise. This formalisation, spurred by the Government’s educational anti-smuggling campaigns, is critical.
A thousand new company registrations in a single quarter is not just a statistic; it is a vote of confidence in the formal economy and a massive expansion of the national tax base.
This integrated approach is the very essence of a self-sustaining ecosystem. Consider the textile industry: cotton from Kwekwe is spun in Kadoma, and transformed into garments in Bulawayo. The goal to move from 60 percent to 100 percent local sourcing for the clothing industry is a microcosm of the national import-substitution ambition.
Similarly, the city’s dominance in milling and the production of handheld tractors and irrigation equipment directly serves national priorities of food security and agricultural empowerment.
The lesson from Bulawayo is clear: the path to an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030 is not paved by lamenting the past or relying on a single silver bullet. It is built by embracing technology, nurturing SMEs and linking value chains.
Bulawayo’s roar is returning, but its sound is different. It is the quiet whirr of a robotic arm, the collaborative buzz of an innovation hub, and the confident ring of a cash register in a newly registered formal business.
