Kwekwe’s new CBD attracts US$22 million investment

KWEKWE – The expansion of the Kwekwe Central Business District at the Railway Reserve Area, in
line with government Smart City Concept, has attracted investment to tune of US$22 million, it has
been learnt. Kwekwe City Council, which is working with Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA)
in packaging and marketing investment opportunities, has lured several investors in a development
that will see at least 1 000 jobs created resulting in an increase of the local Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) in the district.

To facilitate private sector led investment, Kwekwe is working on improving the ease of doing
business and reducing the cost of doing so by providing an enabling environment for investments to
thrive. The city’s Town Clerk Dr. Lucia Mkandhla said the ease of doing business has seen investors flocking
to the city’s new CBD, where construction work is at various stages of development.
“Investors are coming to Kwekwe because they are encouraged by our governance approach. The
total investment is estimated at US $22 million.

“As administration, our role is to encourage investors to develop land not to keep it for speculation.
We do make follow up in adherence to our conditions for development,” she said and boasted that
Kwekwe was the only city that has constant water supplies throughout the week and has a clean and
peaceful environment. A visit to the city recently, saw a number of new buildings and construction work going on at the new CBD where businesses are flocking to grab investment opportunities.

In pursuit of its dream of becoming a city by 2030, the dormitory local authority decided to relocate
its Central Business District to the more convenient turnoff where a modern town will be
constructed in line with the governments Smart City Concept.
The Smart City Concept was introduced in 2017 by the Second Republic in bid to lure investors and
improve livelihoods. The concept was embraced and adopted by many towns and cities, including
Kwekwe.

The local authority is also at an advanced stage of finalising twinning arrangements with other
regional and international cities as it positions itself as an international investment destination of
choice. Kwekwe with a population of 119 863 (ZIMSTAT 2022), has investment opportunities for strategic
partnership in areas such as wire making, iron and steel, ferrochrome, fertilizer manufacturing,
mining and other related industries. Some of the investors, include Global Union Alloys, Bentouch, OK Zimbabwe (Bon Marche), DCK,
Dendairy and Zimasco.

Priority investment opportunities include biogas production, solar power generation, quarry stones
crushing and water bottling.