Dangote is coming to Zimbabwe

Africa's richest man, Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, is set to visit Zimbabwe on Wednesday in what is being described as a landmark moment for the country's investment landscape. The high-profile visit will see Dangote meet with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to advance negotiations on a US$1 billion industrial investment deal that could reshape Zimbabwe's manufacturing and energy sectors.

The proposed project will see the establishment of a massive industrial complex that spans cement manufacturing, coal mining, and power generation. Officials say the initiative will inject substantial capital into the economy, create thousands of jobs, and spur downstream growth across multiple industries.

Dangote, the founder and chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, heads one of Africa's largest and most diversified conglomerates, with interests in cement, sugar, oil refining, and food production. His group operates in 17 African countries and employs more than 30,000 people. Zimbabwe is now positioned to become the next frontier for the expansion of his continental business empire.

This is not Dangote's first attempt to invest in Zimbabwe. He explored similar opportunities in 2015 and 2018, but the proposed ventures failed to materialize. This time, however, the groundwork has been meticulously laid, and both parties are optimistic that the project will move forward.

According to officials close to the negotiations, the US$1 billion deal has been under discussion for months, with significant progress achieved at the Afreximbank annual meetings held in Abuja, Nigeria, in June. The talks were initiated by Bard Santner Markets Inc, a fast-growing Harare-based financial advisory firm led by chief executive Senziwani Sikhosana and journalist-turned-investment facilitator Josephine Mahachi. Bard Santner is serving as the lead financial advisor and key facilitator of the investment.

From the government's side, the process is being coordinated by Presidential Investment Advisor Paul Tungwarara, who has been instrumental in ensuring that all policy and regulatory aspects are aligned to support the project.

During his visit, Dangote is expected to finalise critical elements of the agreement, including mining concessions, tax incentives, and investment security guarantees.

The investment, once concluded, will rank among Zimbabwe's largest private sector deals in over a decade, bolstering industrial production capacity and improving energy self-sufficiency.

As anticipation builds ahead of Wednesday's visit, media presenter Godfrey Koti has been chronicling the story of Dangote's renewed interest in Zimbabwe and the instrumental role played by Bard Santner in connecting the deal's key players.

For a country eager to attract large-scale investment and rebuild its industrial base, Dangote's return represents not only a vote of confidence but also a potential turning point in Zimbabwe's economic revival.