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Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]

RETOOLING remains a critical factor in driving industrial growth and local companies are striving to procure new equipment and machinery despite the prevailing financial challenges affecting both industry and the broader economy.

Many companies in Bulawayo continue to rely on outdated, manually operated machines, which limit production capacity, compromise quality and increase the cost of production. This, in turn, reduces their competitiveness in both local and regional markets.

However, some leading Bulawayo industries are making concerted efforts to retool and modernise their operations.

During a recent tour of Bulawayo’s industrial sector by the Zanu-PF Economic Development and Empowerment Cluster, companies highlighted their ongoing retooling and refurbishment efforts, although access to funding remains a major challenge.

The delegation visited key industries, including the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), General Beltings Holdings, and Ref Air where they were briefed on various challenges affecting the sector. These include an influx of cheap imports, foreign currency shortages for raw materials and machinery procurement and skilled labour shortages due to brain drain.

NRZ

Ref Air general manager Ms Karen Mirtle highlighted the company’s phased approach to retooling, noting that significant progress had been made in upgrading manufacturing processes.

“We are awaiting the arrival of a press for the final phase of our manufacturing line. Over the past four years, we have invested in new equipment, upgrading and mechanising our decoiling, bending and splitting processes.

“This has increased our production capacity significantly as we can now process materials 20 times faster than before,” she said.

Ms Mirtle, however, pointed out a major bottleneck in the final phase of production.

“This old press is still manually operated using pulleys, making it slow and inefficient. The coming new press is numerically controlled, with a two-in, two-out system. We have already paid 80 percent of the R2 million cost,” she said.

Ms Mirtle said the remaining 20 percent was applied for through the auction system at the end of 2023, and the company was allocated the funds.

“However, due to changes in the monetary policy, the funds were placed into Non-Negotiable Certificates of Deposits (NNCDs), leaving us in a difficult position,” she said.

Leading the delegation, Zanu-PF national secretary for business development Cde Elifas Mashaba acknowledged the challenges faced by industries and stressed the need for stronger political commitment to support industrial growth.

“There is great potential for these companies to be revitalised. We are looking at engaging relevant ministries to explore ways to assist. While we are not here to allocate budgets ourselves, we believe our engagement will make a positive impact. So far, we are pleased with the progress,” he said.

During the tour, companies reported operating at between 40 and 60 percent capacity utilisation, a figure Cde Mashaba said could be improved with adequate support.

General Beltings Holdings Group managing director Mr Joseph Gunda stressed the role of Government policy in facilitating industrial growth. He revealed that his company had successfully refurbished its boiler and press as part of efforts to enhance efficiency and support the broader industry.

“The Zimbabwean conveyor belt market demands about 60 000 meters annually. With our refurbished plant, we now have the capacity to produce about 90 000 meters, including surplus for export,” he said.

Mr Gunda noted that these improvements had enhanced product quality, improved customer satisfaction, and significantly reduced production costs, making the company more competitive against international suppliers, including those from South Africa.

“Our company can meet all domestic conveyor belt needs. However, there is a need for deliberate policy measures to protect local industries from cheap imports,” he added.

Government and business community share a strong commitment to restoring Bulawayo’s status as Zimbabwe’s industrial hub. Decades of de-industrialisation, primarily attributed to illegal sanctions, led to massive job losses and rising unemployment.

In response, the Second Republic is prioritising industrialisation and re-industrialisation as part of its broader vision to create employment and transform the country into an upper-middle-income society by 2030. — @SikhulekelaniM1.