Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
HIDDEN beneath towering trees on the edge of Makokoba, a few metres from the famous Mazai River, a modest cluster of workshops is quietly proving that opportunity does not always come wrapped in shiny buildings or industrial parks.
Every morning, welders, carpenters, mechanics and traders unlock their workspaces at the place locals call Madbro, where skilled hands transform steel, timber and determination into products that feed families, create jobs and supply customers from across Matabeleland.
What many motorists dismiss as an ageing collection of sheds has, for more than two decades, become a lifeline for artisans who refused to let the closure of the former Madbro Engineering factory destroy their livelihoods. Instead, they rebuilt it into a thriving hub of small businesses that continues to keep Bulawayo’s manufacturing tradition alive.
The small factory manufactures steel products, door frames, sofas, beds and also offers bicycle and motor repair services.
According to residents, Madbro Engineering was the go-to place for Bulawayo residents and travellers who wanted to buy wheelbarrows and scotch carts for rural areas, as well as metal gates for home security.
At the turn of the millennium, amid the economic turmoil that hit the country, Madbro Engineering closed shop, and the building was left vacant.
“A few remaining workers from Madbro Engineering who had learnt the skills to manufacture wheelbarrows and scotch carts took over the business and started making their own products.
“They worked there for years and over time they were joined by other people who sold gum poles and other products that were in demand, especially for travellers using the Renkini Bus Terminus,” said elderly resident Mrs Thelma Sibindi of Makokoba, whose residential flat is just a stone’s throw away from the small factory.
“Makokoba is home to a lot of these small factories, but maybe the reason why many people did not know this one even existed is that it is situated at the back of McKeurtan Primary School and is hidden under very huge trees,” said Mrs Sibindi.
Although she can no longer identify the men who work at the small factory after some have left or passed away, Mrs Sibindi says she is happy that business is still thriving at the site.
The men who work at the factory are confident that over the course of many years, they have been conducting business at Madbro; their products have been bought by customers from the width and breadth of the Matabeleland region, stretching from Binga, Nkayi, Bulilima, Plumtree, Kezi to Gwanda.
Fungai Madzinga is a welder who was employed by his boss Taurai Mpofu six years ago.
His welding products range from mining equipment used to holster small scale miners into shafts and back onto the surface, wheelbarrows and door frames.
“Most of our customers are villagers who come to Bulawayo to buy building materials or scotch carts to take back to their rural areas and are looking for the products at a place closer to Renkini Bus Terminus.
“Most people started noticing us when a detour was opened for traffic before the primary school to the Bhaktas Terminus. We have started recording an increase in business after the opening of the Bhaktas Terminus and the influx of travellers to Binga, Hwange and Victoria Falls,” said Madzinga.
“Customers can get anything here from gum poles, welding products, motor mechanic services, sofas, bicycle repair services and even tree seedlings.”
Madzinga said the festive season is the best time of the year when they record good business.
The traders at Madbro have no choice but to take turns sleeping at the factory to safeguard their equipment and products.
“There is no perimeter wall or even a gate, so we are forced to sleep here every night to keep our stuff safe. We have dogs that patrol the area and alert us when an intruder starts lurking too close to the factory,” said another trader, Nicholas Mahlangu, who sells gum poles. Ward 7 Councillor Thandiwe Moyo said more factories that house small-scale traders are needed in Makokoba and Bulawayo in general for job creation and to keep the youth off the streets.
“The number one cause of drug and substance abuse is that young people are idle so they spend the whole day doing nothing productive and they end up abusing drugs or drinking illicit alcohol,” she said.
“We’ve vocational centres that are run by the Bulawayo City Council where young people can learn skills such as welding, painting and carpentry that they can later use to make a living at local factories,” said Clr Moyo.
She, however, said proper infrastructure is critical for housing local factories for small-scale traders to avoid a repeat of what happened at Mpopoma Outspan factory three and a half years ago.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bulawayo are distinguishing themselves through quality products in different sectors, covering textile and clothing, engineering, food processing, art and craft, among others.
The growth of the SME sector is critical in the country’s drive to expand job creation, substituting imports and beefing up export volumes.
