Online Reporter
Lincoln Towindo in Hangzhou, China
ZIMBABWE has invited Chinese automotive giant Geely to consider establishing operations closer to the country’s mineral resources as Harare intensifies efforts to attract investment into electric-vehicle manufacturing and the broader new-energy value chain.
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga made the pitch yesterday after touring Geely’s operations here, where he was shown some of the company’s leading vehicle brands and briefed on its advances in electric vehicles, research and development.
Dr Chiwenga said Zimbabwe’s abundant deposits of minerals critical to the electric-vehicle industry presented an opportunity for collaboration with Geely, which has developed significant capabilities in vehicle technology, electrification and research.
“What is of interest to us is that all the EV minerals, Zimbabwe holds, we are at the centre of the EV minerals,” he said.
“And what we are saying to you, Geely, is that come to where your raw materials are. You have got the knowledge, you have got the experience, we have got the resources. And together, the dreams of both of us are greater.”
The engagement comes as the Second Republic seeks to move Zimbabwe beyond the export of raw minerals by attracting investment into processing, manufacturing and other higher-value activities linked to the country’s mineral endowment.
Dr Chiwenga said the transformation of Geely demonstrated the rapid technological advances made by China’s automotive industry.
“China has greatly improved in terms of technology. That is what you can see here,” he said.
“The briefing that we have received; one of the humble beginnings of this company to where it is now — making the electric vehicles across the board.”
He said Geely’s research and development capabilities were particularly relevant to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation ambitions.
“Not only that, but they are also doing research and development. From their briefing, they have got a big research component and they don’t only do it for themselves, they also do for other companies,” he said.
A Geely Holding Group company representative said Zimbabwe represented a potentially important market for the company, while indicating that the group had capabilities extending beyond vehicle assembly to batteries, charging infrastructure and other parts of the electric-mobility ecosystem.
“Absolutely, Zimbabwe is a very big potential market for Geely and also for the automotive market,” he said.
He said Geely had the infrastructure to provide solutions covering electric vehicles, batteries, technology and charging systems.
The company, he added, was prepared to support the development of logistics and charging infrastructure for its Zimbabwean customers.
Geely Auto is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The group has emerged as one of the world’s major automotive players. Geely Holding sold more than 4.1 million vehicles in 2025 and ranked as the world’s eighth-largest automotive group, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
Its new-energy vehicles accounted for 2.29 million of the group’s 2025 sales.
The company has also been rapidly expanding outside China, with Geely Auto operating in nearly 90 countries and building manufacturing and sales networks in markets across Asia, Africa, Europe and other regions.
Meanwhile, Dr Chiwenga is today scheduled to headline the Zimbabwe-China Business Forum that will bring together a high-powered Government delegation, representatives of the Zimbabwean private sector and Chinese businesspeople.
The forum is expected to focus on investment opportunities in areas including mining, chemical manufacturing, mineral value addition and agri-processing, among other sectors.
The Vice President will also tour the Hangzhou Urban Command Centre, which forms part of the city’s smart-city infrastructure and uses big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence to support urban management and decision-making.
Hangzhou’s City Brain system, for example, was initially developed to improve traffic management before being expanded into areas including healthcare, public security, parking and other city services.
Dr Chiwenga is also scheduled to visit Alibaba Group, the Hangzhou-based technology giant.
