Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, [email protected]
The remarkable revival of Bulawayo’s Carousel factory stands as one of the clearest triumphs of President Mnangagwa’s industrialisation drive, with the Head of State’s strategic interventions revitalising the manufacturing giant, surging production, and restoring optimism among workers while rekindling the city’s long-awaited industrial resurgence.
Once constrained by production bottlenecks and operational challenges, the manufacturing division of Edgars Stores Limited is now on a rapid growth trajectory and is targeting capacity utilisation of more than 70 percent this year as the benefits of Government support continue to bear fruit.
The turnaround is being hailed as a strong testament to the Second Republic’s commitment to re-industrialisation, local production and job creation, particularly in Bulawayo, historically Zimbabwe’s industrial hub.
President Mnangagwa toured the company’s retooled plant in February 2025, following an investment of approximately US$1,2 million, to assess its production capacity and growth prospects.
During the visit, the company highlighted key constraints affecting operations, prompting interventions that have since unlocked significant production gains.
Giving an update to the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube, on Tuesday, Carousel managing director Mr Menfree Tanyanyiwa said the company recorded exceptional growth last year.
“We ended the year, from a manufacturing perspective, with a growth of 47 percent in units. These are numbers that are now in the public domain because we have already published our end-of-year results.
“So, we grew volumes in terms of production by 47 percent and I think that has been an unprecedented growth, especially so within manufacturing. If one were to trace the trajectory of production at this place, you would see that every year we have had incremental growth,” he said.
Mr Tanyanyiwa said the transformation has been dramatic, with annual production rising from about 75,000 units in 2021 to nearly 500,000 units within just a few years.
“I could tell you that at some point around about 2021 the annual production was 75,000 units and now we are talking something nearly around about the 500,000 units three or four years later. So, there has been some excellent growth right throughout the years.”
He said the company’s strategy was anchored in reviving Edgars through strong local manufacturing, with deliberate efforts to capacitate the factory and expand production.
Building on last year’s momentum, Carousel is targeting a further 26 percent growth in production volumes this year.
“Capacity utilisation last year was around 65 percent there about. If we manage to push through this growth of 26 percent, which I think is a very soft target, we will push capacity utilisation to about 76.7 percent.
“When I speak about capacity utilisation, this is installed and ready-to-use capacity that already exists, where we do not have to buy extra machinery or hire extra staff. So I’m hoping that by the end of the year, we will have pushed that capacity utilisation to 76.7 percent,” he added.
Mr Tanyanyiwa said plans were already underway to further expand capacity as the company seeks to consolidate its contribution to Zimbabwe’s re-industrialisation agenda.
“While we are exploiting the capacity that we currently have, plans are also in place to revamp that capacity even further because we think that we have not reached the ceiling yet of where we can get to in terms of reindustrialising and reproducing again from Carousel. So, we have plans again to continue to build up on that capacity.”
He said the company was strengthening partnerships with tertiary institutions to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled workers for the labour-intensive clothing manufacturing sector.
Among the most significant outcomes of President Mnangagwa’s intervention was the acquisition of a modern cutting room solution through funding secured under the Targeted Finance Facility (TFF).
Mr Tanyanyiwa said the equipment was ordered from Europe and installed by October last year, significantly enhancing production efficiency.
“So, when we speak about the 47 percent increase in production levels last year, we owe quite a bit of that to that increased capacity arising out of the use of the cutting room solution.”
The company is also planning further investments, particularly in denim processing equipment, to increase competitiveness and meet growing market demand.
Mr Tanyanyiwa also credited President Mnangagwa’s intervention in addressing power supply challenges that had previously threatened productivity.
“One of the major challenges we also had was around power supply when the President came to tour last year. I am pleased to say that he then directed that we be given access to as much power as we needed to ensure that production is sustained.
“I think within a week, we had a dedicated line here and it’s important to give flowers where they are due and say that since then we really have not had any power cut of note,” he said.
The improved power situation means the factory now has the capacity to operate around the clock whenever production demands require.
While water pressure remains a challenge, Mr Tanyanyiwa said the company has mitigated the situation through boreholes and a water purification plant, ensuring uninterrupted production.
After touring the factory, Minister Ncube commended the impressive growth in production volumes, attributing the turnaround to President Mnangagwa’s decisive interventions and the commitment of management and workers.
“It is so exciting and we really appreciate the commitment by the management and by the workforce in general. If you remember very well, we visited this factory last year with the Head of State, President Mnangagwa and they made a presentation to him.
“I’m so happy that the management is so excited and they really appreciate the interventions ordered by the President for this factory; he actually turned the tables because they are aiming at producing close to 100,000 units a month,” she said.
“If we could have more factories operating this way, we would have created more jobs for our people. I am happy for Carousel for the job well done. There are a lot of changes compared to what we saw last year.”
Minister Ncube also commended the automation and computerisation of operations at the plant, saying the adoption of modern technology was positioning Carousel as a model for Zimbabwe’s industrial resurgence.
As production lines gather pace and investment continues to flow into the factory, Carousel’s success story is increasingly becoming a symbol of Bulawayo’s industrial revival and the broader national push towards a modern, productive and globally competitive manufacturing sector.
