Online Reporter
Martin Kadzere
LOCAL water treatment chemicals manufacturer, Chilmund Chemicals, has expanded its footprint into regional markets, leveraging a US$25 million investment in its Bindura plant to drive exports across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, a company official has said.
The company, which started as a trading entity in 2007, is now exporting granulated, liquid and kibbled aluminium sulphate—a critical coagulant used in water purification—to Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, and the DRC, Business Development Director, Mr Nicholas Bhero said in an interview.
Chilmund’s success story highlights the progress the country has made towards industrialisation and serves as a teaser ahead of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo on July 23–24, 2026.
The indaba and expo are being organised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in partnership with ZimTrade and local think tank Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS).
Mr Bhero said Chilmund’s export drive follows strategic business engagements initiated during the 2024 SADC Industrialisation Week in Harare, which allowed the firm to secure bulk supply leads with regional off-takers.
The company’s high-tech manufacturing plant has an installed production capacity of 7 200 tonnes per month.
With domestic demand currently averaging 1 800 tonnes per month, the company is utilising its excess capacity to service regional markets, currently moving roughly 3 500 tonnes cross-border.
“I am glad to say that we now supply to Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and the DRC and we are still having talks with other SADC member states,” Mr Bhero said, noting that negotiations are underway to secure two additional regional markets by the end of the year.
The company’s domestic position was recently reinforced by the Government’s enactment of Statutory Instrument (SI) 59 of 2026, which introduced import management measures on aluminium sulphate to protect local industry from cheaper imports.
“The Government is saying, let’s buy local. “They are promoting local products,” Mr Bhero said. “Because here we are manufacturing, so there is no need to import.”
Chilmund has advanced plans to vertically integrate its operations to optimise its production ecosystem and reduce supply-chain dependencies.
The company has secured land in Bindura where it intends to construct a dedicated sulphuric acid plant, thereby eliminating its reliance on raw material imports.
