Online Reporter
Business Writer
LEADING local engineering firm Pump and Steel Suppliers is preparing to enter the heavy rail manufacturing sector as it plans to revive production capabilities formerly held by the defunct Zimbabwe Engineering Company (ZECO).
The strategic focus, confirmed by Human Resources Manager Eugene Jackson in an interview ahead of the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026, is to build on inherited rail production infrastructure to eventually resume domestic manufacture of heavy railway equipment and components.
The move is anticipated to ease import reliance, boost local technical skills and provide a critical lift to the country’s transport and logistics sector.
The planned expansion represents a major shift for Pump and Steel Suppliers, which operates out of a sprawling industrial workshop in Bulawayo that previously functioned as a railway facility.
Established in 1989, the company has grown into a major anchor of the country’s steel value chain and currently employs between 300 and 500 workers, depending on seasonal demand.
However, expanding into rolling stock and rail components will require a massive step up in technical complexity and precision engineering.
To bridge this technical gap, the company has expanded its training programme in heavy steel fabrication.
“Looking ahead, we plan to revive rail manufacturing inherited from ZECO,” said Mr Jackson. He said building local expertise was a priority for the firm as it scales up operations to prepare for the heavy transport market.
The rail manufacturing initiative comes at a time when Pump and Steel is operating at high capacity across its existing product lines.
Its specialised lines yield about six tonnes of nails daily, divided equally across three-inch, four-inch and six-inch product runs.
The three- and four-inch lines dominate sales, driven by strong nationwide construction activity.
The structural division fabricates about 250 tonnes of heavy steel products monthly, including fuel tanks, mining tanks and roof trusses.
A single light-manufacturing production line produces 2 400 door frames and 1 200 window frames in a single eight-hour shift.
Under the national Buy Zimbabwe initiative, the company has also successfully localised its hinge manufacturing, completely replacing imports for this high-demand building component.
Bongani Ndlovu