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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
Makokoba residents have established a home industry on a stretch along 3rd Avenue near St Patrick’s Primary School where many are into fence making and gates manufacturing.

The enterprising residents have strategically positioned themselves to market their products especially to motorists driving into and out of Bulawayo.

As one heads into town from the high-density suburbs or drives out of town, he or she cannot miss the various products on display that include perimeter fences, gates and fowl runs.

Some of the residents make the products at their houses while others make the products on site.

The operations however come with a lot of challenges as they are occasionally fined by authorities for operating without licences.

The Chronicle news crew visited the area yesterday. Those who spoke to the news crew said they copied the concept from Mr Augustine Mpofu who stays nearby, who was the first to start the business in the area.

The news crew caught up with Mr Mpofu’s wife, Mrs Ratidzai Mpofu at their home as he was away. She said when they started off their business her husband was making fence products from their home but they now have workshops at Renkini Bus Terminus.

She had perimeter fences, barbed wire and field fences displayed outside their house.

“My husband used to sell soft wire and that’s when he came up with the idea to make fence. He started the business in 1999 at a low scale and at that time he was making them from home manually.

“At that time he was the only person in the area who was making the fences. We later bought a machine to make the fences and this helped to develop our business. He then moved to operate from Renkini Bus Terminus,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She said her husband now employs two people who are assisting him.

“Now we have two workshops where we make our products and then we sell them from home.

She said when her husband moved to Renkini Bus Terminus he invited some people to join him and that was when more people got involved in the business. She said the business was now their source of livelihood.

The news crew also visited Mr Aleck Makonye house. He makes his products from his home. He has two fence making machines which he uses.

Mr Makonye started selling tobacco in 2001 and then moved on to make fence products in 2018. He manufactures and sells perimeter fences; fowl runs and gates from his home.

He said he sells a fowl run for US$130, a gate for US$130 and a 30-metre fence for US$75. Mr Makonye said when making gates, he works on the fencing and then engages a welder who puts the poles together.

“I started off selling tobacco from my home and then moved into making these fence products.

This business has really helped me to fend for my family. I got the idea of engaging in this business after I saw Mr Mpofu who is my neighbour doing it,” he said.

Mr Makonye said he buys raw materials locally or from Harare and South Africa.

He said of late business was however low as they were struggling to get buyers.

“One of the major challenges we face is of authorities that arrest us. We get arrested by police and council and we pay fines for operating without licences. It would only be possible to get licences if we have designated places to operate from. We have tried to engage council so that we are allocated an area to work from and we are still waiting,” he said.

Mr Makonye said council fines them $1 300 per item that they find on display and police charge them $500 or more for operating without a licence.

Another fence maker, Mr Bruce Ncube said the business has greatly assisted him to fend for his family. He said they need proper workshops as he could not store his products and raw materials in his house because of limited space.

Mr Ncube said he was forced to store them outside and sometimes they are stolen. He said he has since resorted to bundling up his products and securing them with a chain and lock overnight.–@DubeMatutu