Online Reporter
Kuda Bwititi-Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZIMBABWE is saving US$500 million annually in critical foreign currency through the strategic expansion and industrial revolution underway at the Dinson Iron & Steel Company (DISCO) in Manhize.
This emerged last week after Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Cde Webster Shamu, toured the plant to witness first-hand the stellar progress at one of the biggest investment projects in Zimbabwe.
The massive savings, a direct result of import substitution championed by President Mnangagwa, underscore the success of the Second Republic’s policies.
President Mnangagwa officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony of the US$1,5 billion DISCO plant in October 2022 and just four years later, what was just a dense forest has been transformed into one of the largest steel plants in Africa.
Annual production is scheduled to reach 600 000 tonnes of steel products this year, under the first phase. This is expected to rise to 1, 2 million tonnes in phase two, 3, 2 million tonnes in phase three, and five million tonnes a year in the last stage.
In a statement, DISCO said the savings come from the plant’s new capacity to produce a wide range of essential industrial inputs like hot wire rods and steel mining mill balls, which the nation previously imported.
“Zimbabwe’s industrialisation revolution continues to gain momentum. Members of Parliament recently toured the Dinson Iron & Steel Company (DISCO) to witness first hand the expansion of production to include hot wire rods and steel mining mill balls — critical inputs for manufacturing and mining. This milestone is saving the country over US$500 million annually on imports and driving the National Development Strategy 2 forward.”
Other products produced at DISCO include pig iron, steel billets and deformed bars.
The plant’s need for a wide range of support services like logistics, maintenance, catering, packaging, and raw material supply, has opened a reliable and substantial market for local businesses. Instead of importing these services, DISCO is deliberately fostering a domestic supply chain, ensuring that the benefits of industrial investment are widely shared and entrenched within local communities.
DISCO confirmed that the plant has also created multiple opportunities for downstream and upstream industries.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to the Minister of Gender, Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, and to His Excellency Zhou Ding, the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, for facilitating the visit by the Portfolio Committee on the Zimbabwe–China Friendship Association. Their leadership and partnership underscore the importance of collaboration in strengthening Zimbabwe’s industrial base and creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs.”
Speaking during the visit, Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding said the project has transformed the lives of thousands of people in Manhize and surrounding areas.
“Beyond production figures, Dinson’s broader contributions are equally noteworthy. The company has actively embraced its social responsibilities, rolling out impactful projects such as a
$6 million power grid, an $8 million 25-kilometer dual-lane road, $50 000 worth of boreholes, and the renovation of seven schools at a total cost of $200 000. These efforts reflect the true spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation and demonstrate that development must deliver tangible benefits to communities.”
Since the closure of Ziscosteel more than a decade ago, Zimbabwe has been forced to import its steel products, a dependency that has drained hundreds of millions of dollars in vital foreign currency annually.
DISCO is a subsidiary of giant Chinese company Tsingshan Holdings.
