Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
Mashonaland Central is targeting to grow its US$3,3 billion economy to US$5 billion by 2030, with three established Special Economic Zones (SEZs) expected to anchor the province’s industrialisation drive.
The three SEZs are the Muzarabani Energy and Petrochemical Industrial SEZ in Guruve, the Mvurwi Agro-Processing and Tobacco Value Chain SEZ, and the Bindura-Shamva Mineral Beneficiation and Manufacturing SEZ.
The SEZs are central to the province’s Provincial Economic Development Plan 2 (PEDP2) for 2026 to 2030, with Government seeking to leverage them to attract investment, create jobs and accelerate industrialisation.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mr Christopher Magomo said the three SEZs should now be fully integrated into the province’s development priorities to maximise their economic impact.
He was speaking during consultations for the formulation of the Provincial Economic Development Plan 2 (PEDP2) for 2026 – 2030.
He said effective implementation of the projects would be critical in unlocking investment opportunities and supporting the province’s economic growth targets.
The minister said the SEZs would serve as strategic industrial and investment anchors and must be fully integrated into the province’s economic development plan.
He said the Muzarabani Energy and Petrochemical Industrial SEZ would leverage oil, gas, energy and petrochemical opportunities in the district, where exploration is already under way.
The Guruve – Mvurwi Agro-Processing and Tobacco Value Chain SEZ will focus on agricultural value addition, export-oriented processing and agro-industries, while the Bindura–Shamva Mineral Beneficiation and Manufacturing SEZ will concentrate on mineral beneficiation and industrial development.
Minister Magomo said the zones would attract investment, create jobs, deepen beneficiation and value addition, stimulate small and medium enterprises through supply chains and strengthen the province’s export capacity.
“These Special Economic Zones are strategic industrial and investment anchors,” he said.
The minister said the province must move away from exporting minerals and other raw materials in their primary form and instead convert its abundant natural resources into greater economic value through beneficiation.
He said the national policy direction on restricting raw material exports presented an opportunity for Mashonaland Central to accelerate industrialisation.
“This is not just a regulatory change; it is an economic strategy intended to drive industrialisation and job creation. This province, let us embrace this policy to our advantage,” he said.
The SEZ strategy comes as Mashonaland Central seeks to significantly expand its economic output during the final phase of the country’s drive towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Minister Magomo said the province’s economy currently stood at US$3.3 billion and the target was to grow it to US$5 billion by 2030, requiring an average annual growth trajectory of about 7,3 percent.
He said accelerated investment, increased productivity and value addition in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and emerging sectors would be critical to achieving the target.
“The strategies under PEDP2 must be deliberate, ambitious and results-oriented, with the clear objective of transforming Mashonaland Central from its current US$3.3 billion economy into a US$5 billion provincial economy by 2030. This is our target,” he said.
The SEZs will also be expected to dovetail with major infrastructure projects, including the Harare – Kanyemba Highway, Kanyemba Border Post, Rural Guruve – Harare Road and Karanda–Nyakatukutu Road, which Minister Magomo said were critical to reducing the cost of doing business and opening markets.
He added that infrastructure development should be directly linked to production, industrial investment and market access rather than being treated as an end in itself.
Provincial Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr Timothy Maregere said PEDP2 would build on gains made under the first Provincial Economic Development Plan and the National Development Strategy 1.
He said Mashonaland Central had recorded growth across agriculture, health, education, energy and new business investments, with major projects including road upgrades, schools, clinics, innovation hubs, vocational institutes, solar projects and mining and energy investments.
Mr Maregere said the province would continue to place the private sector at the centre of its development agenda by creating an enabling environment for investment, production and job creation.
“Government will deliver a strong focus on creating an enabling development environment that allows business to invest, produce and thrive,” he said.
Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Willard Manungo, said PEDP2 should serve as more than a planning document.
He described it as an investment blueprint capable of giving investors, financial institutions and development partners a clear picture of the province’s economic opportunities and bankable projects.
He said the four-day consultation process was intended to ensure that the plan reflected the experiences and aspirations of government institutions, local authorities, traditional leaders, business, academia, civil society, women, youth, communities and development partners.
The plan, he said, should be evidence-based, participatory and flexible enough to respond to economic changes, technological advancement and climate-related challenges.
For Mashonaland Central, the three SEZs place energy in Muzarabani, agro-processing in Guruve and Mvurwi, and mineral beneficiation in Bindura and Shamva at the centre of the province’s next phase of industrialisation, potentially reshaping how the province converts its natural resources into jobs, investment and economic value.
