Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

LUPANE State University (LSU) is courting potential investors for partnership in key projects valued at above US$120 million under its expansion drive whose implementation is set to transform Lupane town into a modern city.

Cities like Cambridge, Oxford and others in the developing world were built on the strength of academic institutions and LSUs development projects have the potential to transform the Matabeleland North provincial capital in a similar way.

LSU pitched its projects during the recent Matabeleland North Diaspora Investment Conference that was held at its campus in Lupane on Friday and Saturday. 

Among the top potential investor projects is infrastructure development for students and staff accomodation, office and lecture rooms, livestock and poultry projects, solar farm and establishing a tourism school in Victoria Falls. 

In his outline, LSU assistant vice chancellor Dr Julius Tapera said over the years the student population has grown to over 5 000 and four faculties namely Agricultural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Commerce and Engineering and Applied Sciences.

At inception in 2005, LSU operated from Bulawayo with one Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and an initial enrolment of 12 students. Dr Tapera, citing the university masterplan, said the institution was still at an elementary stage of infrastructure development, which points to the investment opportunities available within the infrastructure development space.

The institution has secured a 2ha piece of land in Victoria Falls to build an international hotel school and the project is valued at US$46 million, while US$5 million is needed for on-campus student and staff accommodation  with US$9 million needed for staff accommodation where it has secured land in Jotsholo.

Plans are also underway to develop a student one stop services centre at a cost of US$10 million and a roadside mall estimated at US$5 million. Tapping into the long sunny hours, LSU is also investing into a US$50 million solar farm to generate about 50MW.

“We only have two students’ halls of residence and with a growing student population that’s another area of investment opportunity. For staff accommodation, we only have two blocks of flats but with a staff population of 436, we are looking at investment in real estate in that regard,” said Dr Tapera.

“In the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, we established an Agri-hub where we are actually running a number of projects. We are doing poultry and we have indigenous chickens and working on adding artificial insemination where we are also hatching eggs in that process and we have acquired five incubators each with capacity to hatch 1 000 eggs at a time.”

LSU is also doing guinea fowls, broilers and layers projects, goat and cattle rearing, as well as fisheries and horticulture.

“We are looking at expanding all these projects. For the International School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management, we have acquired a 2ha piece of land in Victoria Falls, which we have fully paid for and we have title to it, and we have actually developed the plans for this infrastructure,” said Dr Tapera.

“It will have the tourism and hospitality training school, commercial hotel, students’ accommodation and staff accommodation. The estimated cost for this project is US$46 million but can be taken in peace-meal and we are available for that.” 

LSU has two blocks of students’ accommodation with a total capacity of 1 400 and is looking at increasing it hence the call for potential investors on a Build-Operate and Transfer or any other model where investment can be recouped through user fees.

“We acquired 90 residential stands in Jotsholo where we are planning to build three bedroomed houses at an estimated cost of US$100 000 each and the project value if US$9 million,” said Dr Tapera.

“We are looking at an expansion drive particularly for the broiler project given that it is a low hanging fruit. For the broiler project we are looking at increasing our capacity to batches of 20 000 each and estimated project cost is US$100 000 and similarly with layers we also want to increase our capacity to produce eggs to increase our batches to 20 000 each and estimated project cost is US$200 000.”

LSU also looks at establishing a students’ services centre for convenience in terms of availing restaurants, take aways, salons, basic goods convenience shops, leisure and entertainment facilities and estimated project cost is US$10 million. 

“We also want a road sign mini mall and we are looking at it having a fuel service station, fast food, grocery shops, salons and other entertainment facilities and the estimated project cost is US$5 million,” he said.

LSU is looking at an initial size of 50MW at US$50 million for a solar farm and this will be expanded based on demand over time.