Macdonald Chimbizi in LONDON
INSIDE the high-security workshops at Silverstone where Aston Martin’s Formula One cars are built, a Zimbabwean engineer is helping print parts that must survive at 300 kilometres per hour.
Now Emmanuel Muzangaza wants to use that same technology to solve a very different problem back home – how Zimbabwe can make its own spare parts.
Muzangaza, an engineer and Technology Team Lead at Aston Martin Formula One Team specialising in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, is the Founder and CEO of Afri3D Tech.
It’s a company bringing digital manufacturing and STEM training to Zimbabwe.
Speaking in the UK, where he is based, Muzangaza said his experience at the cutting edge of British manufacturing inspired the venture.
“Working in advanced manufacturing showed me what skilled people can achieve with access to technology and support,” he said.
“I founded Afri3D Tech to make those opportunities accessible in Zimbabwe, connecting education with industry and helping people turn ideas into physical products that we use in our daily lives.”
FROM GWERU TO SILVERSTONE
Muzangaza’s journey has taken him through some of Britain’s most advanced manufacturing institutions.
Before joining Formula One, he worked at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry – one of the UK’s leading research and technology organisations – and on projects linked to Rolls-Royce Aerospace.
In Formula One, where the margin between winning and losing is measured in thousandths of a second, his role is to lead the application of 3D printing to produce complex, lightweight and high-performance components.
At Silverstone, a single failed print can cost thousands of pounds and hours of critical race preparation.
That discipline – design, test, fail, improve – is exactly what he wants to transfer to Zimbabwean classrooms and workshops.
“Technology succeeds when skilled people, suitable equipment and reliable processes work together.
“Good engineering starts with understanding a problem, then designing, testing and improving the solution,” he said.
Afri3D Tech’s business case is deceptively simple and speaks directly to Zimbabwe’s import bill.
Zimbabwean businesses, schools and hospitals often wait three to six weeks to import small but critical parts – a water pump seal, a tractor bracket, a hospital equipment knob, a broken laboratory clamp – that costs as little as US$50 but can stop operations.
Muzangaza argues such parts could be designed and printed locally within hours, using locally available materials and skills.
“It eliminates the need to import parts or spares, thus creating jobs and helping businesses develop products and manufacture suitable items locally,” he said.
The company provides four pillars: 3D printing training, equipment supply, printing services and technical advice for schools, universities and businesses.
Its most impactful innovation is mobile innovation labs – taking 3D printers, laptops with design software, and practical trainers directly to learners in their own schools, rather than expecting learners to travel to Harare.
According to the company, its first week of roadshow demonstrations reached Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo, working with 17 schools, universities and community groups, and reaching over 456 learners.
MORE THAN REMITTANCES – A NEW DIASPORA MODEL
Unlike traditional diaspora support focused on consumption, Afri3D Tech is focused on industrial capacity – building a team of Zimbabwean engineers, technologists, designers and trainers to build sustainable businesses at home.
The approach aligns directly with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the Education 5.0 philosophy – which links teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
It creates opportunities not just in high-end engineering, but in design, production, machine maintenance, training and quality inspection – jobs that can be done by college graduates and technically trained youth.
A MESSAGE TO YOUNG ZIMBABWEANS
His message to learners in Mberengwa, Mbare or Mutare is that geography is not destiny.
“Your location does not determine the value of your ideas. Start with a problem around you, develop your skills and test possible solutions.
“Build strong foundations in science, mathematics, design and computing. You can begin innovating in your own community.”
SEEKING PARTNERS
Afri3D Tech is now seeking start-up and growth investment to complete its production equipment set-up in Zimbabwe, access higher-end technologies such as metal and industrial-grade printing, and expand its team across Zimbabwe and Africa.
“I would welcome an opportunity to present our vision to the President of Zimbabwe, government leaders and investors who believe in Africa’s digital transformation.”
