Online Reporter
Martin Kadzere
Zimbabwe is set to become a net exporter of water treatment solutions across southern and east Africa following the operationalisation of a state-of-the-art chemical manufacturing plant in Bindura.
The facility, according to Chilmund Chemicals’ business development director, Mr Nicholas Bhero, is the fifth of its kind globally and the first non-ferrous aluminium sulphate plant in Africa.
Situated nearly 80 kilometres north of Harare, the plant has an installed production potential of 7 200 tonnes per month and significantly exceeds domestic market consumption.
“We can manufacture over 7 000 tonnes every month, while our domestic market consumes a fraction of that capacity,” Mr Bhero said. “We have the installed output to supply neighbouring countries across the region, positioning Zimbabwe as a net exporter of water treatment solutions.
“We are the only company producing non-ferrous aluminium sulphate in the region, across Southern and East Africa. That gives us a significant competitive edge while proving that locally produced chemicals meet and exceed global quality requirements,” Mr Bhero added.
Aluminium sulphate serves as an essential coagulant for municipal potable water production across the country.
The commissioning of the Bindura manufacturing facility has fundamentally altered the country’s import equation. By producing the chemical locally, foreign currency previously spent on imported water treatment solutions is now retained and reinvested within the domestic economy.
Furthermore, local manufacturing protects the domestic supply chain against international logistics disruptions and border delays, effectively turning national water security into a sovereign capability.
Mr Bhero said Chilmund exemplifies the Second Republic’s devolution agenda by establishing heavy industrial infrastructure outside traditional manufacturing corridors such as Harare and Bulawayo.
“The facility has created over 200 permanent technical jobs, employing chemical, mechanical and electrical engineers, laboratory analysts and plant operators,” said Mr Bhero.
Against this backdrop, the US$24 million manufacturing plant directly aligns with the Government’s agenda on value addition and import substitution.
Underscoring this national momentum, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce—in partnership with African Economic Development Strategies (AEDS) and ZimTrade—will host the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE) from July 23 to 24, 2026.
