Online Reporter
Eliah Saushoma
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to move away from exporting raw materials and instead focus on processing and manufacturing within the region.
He has emphasised that adding value to minerals and agricultural products will boost regional trade, create jobs and ensure that more wealth is retained within local economies.
In Bulawayo, this vision is beginning to take shape.
For years, the story of the City of Kings was largely centred on what once was — a major industrial hub whose factories had fallen silent. Today, however, the city is beginning to write a new chapter.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Bulawayo is witnessing a steady industrial revival driven by investments in manufacturing, engineering, mining and agro-processing, alongside efforts to modernise the city’s industrial infrastructure.
The revival is part of the broader national drive towards re-industrialisation, value addition and strengthening local production capacity.
One of the latest developments is taking shape in Belmont, where a major oilseed processing and packaging plant is under construction.
Steel structures, storage silos and heavy machinery are transforming previously idle industrial space, signalling the return of large-scale manufacturing to one of Bulawayo’s traditional industrial areas.
Beyond the structures, the project is already having an impact on local communities. The construction phase has created employment for skilled tradespeople, engineers and general workers.
Once operational, the plant is expected to create further opportunities for plant operators, transport and logistics companies, as well as farmers supplying raw materials.
The development reflects two key priorities — value addition and beneficiation. Instead of exporting raw agricultural products, local processing allows more value to be retained within Zimbabwe while creating jobs and supporting businesses across the production chain.
It also reflects the broader vision of inclusive economic development, ensuring that communities and cities such as Bulawayo benefit from the country’s industrial transformation.
Bulawayo’s industrial skyline is changing once again. As factory floors come alive and new facilities take shape, the City of Kings is steadily reclaiming its position as a centre of production, innovation and economic activity.
The phoenix is rising, and Bulawayo is writing a new industrial chapter.
