Vacant Bulawayo factories to become global call Centre hubs

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has urged stakeholders to repurpose Bulawayo's vacant factories into hubs for global call centres and knowledge processing, unveiling Special Economic Zone (SEZ) tax incentives to support the sector.

Speaking at the 2026 Post-Budget Breakfast Meeting in Bulawayo, Prof Ncube said the move is part of a broader strategy to position Zimbabwe and Bulawayo as competitive destinations for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO).

He highlighted that the SEZ incentives place the sector on par with other export-oriented industries, allowing companies servicing offshore clients to operate with similar benefits as in export processing zones.

"These are call centres and knowledge-based processing organisations, which mainly focus on the ICT sector," Prof Ncube said. "We really want to drive this sector. I am looking forward to some of these factories in Bulawayo being occupied by BPOs and KPOs going forward."

The initiative aims to attract investment, create youth employment, and generate foreign currency through ICT-enabled service exports.