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Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
ZIMPAPERS Group’s commercial printing company, Typocrafters, has received a major boost on production stimulated by demand for stationery as schools’ are re-opening.

Following the closure of schools last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm’s production was constrained.

Government has announced the re-opening of schools in a phased approach, starting with examination classes on Monday this week and the rest next week Monday.

Briefing Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi during a tour of Typocrafters factory in Bulawayo yesterday, Zimpapers commercial printing division general manager, Mr Cleopas Mutsawuri, said the re-opening of schools’ announcement has brought a new lease of life.

He said Zimpapers also made a deliberate decision to re-invest in Bulawayo to contribute and tap into the existing market potential as well as the revival of industries in the city and employment creation.

“We had some strains in terms of demand during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

“Demand was very low but with the announcement of schools’ re-opening, demand for exercise books has come up and the outlook is much better now,” he said.

Mr Mutsawuri said Typocrafters was geared to meet demand as the market was re-ordering stationery.

The Zimpapers printing division also runs another unit in Harare, Natprint.

“We made a deliberate decision to invest in Bulawayo because the city also needs this investment,” said Mr Mutsawuri.

In an interview, after the tour Typocrafters acting operations manager Mr Victor Dube said his company was now back on its feet to cope with demand on the market.

“During the lockdown period, our production was limited because demand for our products was subdued.

“We’re now trying to chase the orders, so in terms of production the machine in a day, if we are printing A5 size exercise books, it gives us about 35 000 to 40 000 books a day.

“Then if we are printing the A4s with 32 pages, it gives us about 25 000 to 30 000 a day; 72 pages for A4s, it gives us about 20 000 to 25 000 a day.

“And those are statistics for eight-hour shifts,” he said.

Mr Dube also said Typocrafters had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The only effect that Covid-19 gave us is in terms of demand for our product. But when it comes to our operations, I think we have managed to mitigate the impact.

“For example, when employing we get our workers tested and we also do those regular checks and sanitising.

“When it comes to our operations, we haven’t had a situation where we have to cease operations because of Covid-19 situation,” he said.

Typocrafters, which was closed for over seven years, before re-opening in 2019 during the same year also commissioned a US$1 million exercise book making machine as part of efforts to contribute to the revival of industries and create employment. — @okazunga