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Business Reporter
Zimbabwe’s sole manufacturer of conveyor belts, General Beltings (GB), says the country’s mining sector remains key to its rubber division’s performance as demand from the sector continues to grow.
The mining sector is among the key sectors of the economy, and the industry is currently on a growth trajectory driven by a number of expansion projects by existing players as well as the development of new mines.
Several of the large-scale mining projects are already under construction, and some will be commissioned in 2023 as Zimbabwe seeks to accelerate the growth of its extractive sector.
GB manufactures and distributes general-purpose and specialised reinforced conveyor belting, rubber, and chemical products.
Its product range includes rubber-covered belting, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) belting, light-duty PVC belting, solid-woven belting, transmission belting, and conveyor belt rubber skirting.
Group chairman, Mr Godfrey Nhemachena, said the rubber division volumes increased by 26 percent in 2022 to 379 metric tons when compared with the prior year’s same period of 301 metric tons, driven by the growth recorded in the mining sector.
“The division was buoyed by a consistent order book and improved throughput despite intermittent shortages of raw material in the first two months of the year,” he said in the 2022 financial report.
He said the company continued on its growth path in pursuit of its strategy of delivering a commensurate value proposition to its customers through consistent product quality, competitive pricing, and timely delivery of products.
“The rubber division consolidated its market positioning while the Chemicals division focused on market recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic while at the same time establishing new market niches.
Mr Nhemachena said logistical constraints in the flow of raw materials ensued, resulting in unprecedented shortages exacerbated by curtailed exports from producers in their bid to protect their own domestic economies.
Overall volumes of 944 metric tons declined from the 1488 metric tons recorded in the prior year, which included 514 metric tons of Covid-19-related business.
Mr Nhemachena said the company’s improved process efficiencies and strong technical partnerships cushioned it against the logistical constraints.
“The order book firmed up as consumers of the company’s products opted for a local producer as a mitigant against their own supply risk,” he said.
He noted that despite stiff competition from imports, the company held its own in terms of price, product quality, and turnaround times.
Apart from the conveyor belt business, the company offers industrial chemicals for use in the food and beverage, medical and health institutions, catering, hospitality, and tourism industries.
It also supplies industrial chemicals to commercial and institutional laundry, transport and logistics, heavy industrial manufacturing, water and metal treatment, agriculture, and dairy farming.
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