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Cletus Mushanawani in TETE, Mozambique
MANICALAND’S shining example of the Second Republic’s Science, Innovation and Technology Strategy — Verify Engineering — has successfully penetrated the Mozambican gas market and is supplying the country with more than 70 tonnes of oxygen gas bi-monthly.
Verify Engineering’s multi-million Oxygen and Gas Plant at Feruka in Mutare was commissioned by President Mnangagwa in August 2021, and in less than two years it is already having its presence felt in the southern African region through its penetration of the lucrative export market.
Verifying Engineering is wholly owned by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development.
True to President Mnangagwa’s words during the commissioning of the Oxygen and Gas Plant, the production of gas by Verifying Engineering have far-reaching benefits at provincial, national and regional level.
Said President Mnangagwa during the commissioning: “The commissioning of this plant is yet another show of the local capabilities and skills by our young men and women who can now be depended on to set up new industries and other ventures from scratch.
“This is how we must continue to build this great country. The local production of gases by Verify Engineering will undoubtedly have far-reaching benefits. The gas plant provides medical gas products which enable healthcare professionals to avail optimal therapy for patients.”
More jobs are being created as Verify Engineering is installing oxygen tanks in Beira, Chimoio and Tete in Mozambique.
In Beira, Verifying Engineering is setting up two 20-tonne oxygen tanks at hospitals; as well as 15-tonne and 20-tonne tanks in Chimoio and Tete respectively.
Last year in February, Mozambique’s Health Minister, Professor Armindo Tiago toured Verifying Engineering’s plant and expressed satisfaction at the company’s innovativeness. This culminated in the gas exports to the neighboring country. Professor Tiago said: “I was impressed by what I saw. In only two years, they have assembled advanced technology and expertise to produce oxygen for almost the entire SADC region.”
In an inclusive interview with The Manica Post during the ongoing ZimTrade Outward Trade Seller Mission to Tete Province of Mozambique, Verify Engineering executives said they are over the moon by their success story.
Verify Engineering chief executive officer, Engineer Pedzie Tapfumaneyi said they are already supplying more than 70 tonnes of liquid or oxygen gas to Mozambique every two months.
The company has also secured distribution agencies for their gas in Mozambique.
Their current visit to Tete has seen the company securing new markets for their products.
“Last year in August we were in Maputo for another event which was organised by ZimTrade. During that visit, we managed to follow-up on the promise which was done by the Mozambican Health Minister to import gas from our company and we signed a contract to set up tanks at three of their hospitals in Beira, Chimoio and Tete. I am happy to announce that the tanks are now in Mozambique and we are now busy installing them.
“During the Maputo visit, we managed to secure companies that will be our agents in the distribution of our products in Mozambique, especially the liquid oxygen, also known as medical oxygen. We are supplying an average of 70 tonnes of liquid every two months,” said Engineer Tapfumaneyi.
He added: “This time around, we were once again invited by ZimTrade and we are now in Tete. This trip will definitely be a game changer for us because ZimTrade has managed to link us with very large corporates in the Tete Province that include Cabora Bassa Hydro-electric Power Station and big mining companies like Jental and Valley mines.
“With all this potential business which we are just about to unlock, we see ourselves establishing a depot in Tete Province.”
Engineer Tapfumaneyi said they are also eyeing more markets in Malawi and Zambia.
“We are still eyeing the Zambian and Malawian markets.
“Verify Engineering has other strategic business units that have been launched on the market. These are Verify Engineering Projects and Verify Engineering Energy. VE Energy is now into solar energy and we are looking for partnership in Mozambique to develop solar projects.
“Under VE Projects, we refurbish processing and manufacturing plants. We also design and build manufacturing plants, but we are yet to find out who we can partner and enter the Mozambican market through this strategic business unit,” said Engineer Tapfumaneyi.
He added: “When the Education 5.0 Policy was introduced in Zimbabwe, Verify Engineering as a company under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development was mandated to answer to the call of carrying out research, innovation and industrialization.
“With the support we are getting from Government, the fruits are there for everyone to see. We are building many processing and manufacturing plants in Zimbabwe and we are also now on the export market barely two years after coming onboard. This shows our aggressiveness.”
Verify Engineering Gases commercial director, Mr Michael Kateketa said the coming in of Verify Gases on the market created more options for consumers.
“When we came into the gas market, it was experiencing a monopoly. Our coming in created options for the Zimbabwean market. There is a lot of excitement on the market as people now have a choice on what products to acquire.
“As a company, we are very excited because the market has embraced our products because of their quality. We are trying to make the product available nationally as we have set up distribution points in Mutare, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Bulawayo, Hwange, Harare.
“We look forward to getting into Zvishavane, Bindura and Chinhoyi and possibly Kariba because there is huge demand for our product.”
Mr Kateketa said they have the capacity to package and distribute their products nationally.
“Our cylinder population speaks to the volume of our capacity. For the distribution of bulky oxygen, we have adequate tankers to do that. We have quite a number of requests from clients for the installation of onsite storage tanks which will see us supplying bulky oxygen to major customers.
“In the same vein, we have also been going through a parallel process where we have also been looking at the export market. By virtue of our location on the border with Mozambique, we are now tapping on that lucrative market.
“We also want to ride on the installation of tanks in different parts of Mozambique to have a huge footprint in that country. We also want to open a branch in Tete so that we can better serve our customers.
“Since our entry into the market in 2022, things are exciting and we are excited. We are also conscious to the fact that we need to raise our bar in terms of delivering to our customers,” he said.
Online Reporter