Bulawayo identifies 7 corridors to revive industry

The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has identified seven underutilised industrial and economic growth corridors around Bulawayo, saying their development could restore the city's position as Zimbabwe's manufacturing and value-addition hub under the country's National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

In its latest Ease of Doing Business and Policy Alignment Report, the chamber says Bulawayo possesses significant competitive advantages, including strategic transport links, available land, proximity to regional markets and an established industrial base that remains largely underutilised.

According to the report, the city enters the NDS2 implementation period with untapped industrial assets capable of attracting investment not only from within Zimbabwe but also in competition with regional centres such as Gaborone, Francistown and Polokwane.

Bulawayo's manufacturing sector, once regarded as the country's industrial backbone, has declined over recent decades as prolonged economic challenges forced many companies to close operations or relocate to Harare, leaving behind vacant factories and underused industrial infrastructure.

To reverse that trend, ZNCC has proposed the development of seven strategic corridors: Umguza, Nyamandlovu, Airport Road, Esigodini, Matobo, Figtree and the Victoria Falls Road Industrial Corridor.

The chamber argues that converting underutilised land into fully serviced industrial zones represents Bulawayo's greatest opportunity to attract both domestic and foreign investment.

The report identifies the Umguza Corridor as suitable for mixed industrial estates, agro-processing facilities and large-scale residential developments, while the Nyamandlovu Corridor offers opportunities for water-intensive agro-industries, timber processing and horticultural value chains supported by the strategic Nyamandlovu aquifer.

The Airport Road Corridor, which links the city to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, has been earmarked as Bulawayo's premier gateway investment zone.

According to ZNCC, the area is ideally positioned for air cargo operations, logistics centres, courier services, cold-chain infrastructure, hotels and conference facilities.

"This corridor is the natural site for a services- and logistics-oriented Special Economic Zone (SEZ) application and for showcasing investment-ready, pre-serviced stands to ZIDA-channelled investors," the report states.

The Esigodini Corridor, located along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge highway and railway line, is viewed as a strategic location for warehousing, container depots, truck stops, mining support industries and regional distribution centres serving both South African and domestic markets.

ZNCC also sees significant potential in the Matobo Corridor, where tourism, hospitality, arts, crafts and small business development could benefit from proximity to the Matobo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To the west, the Figtree Corridor offers direct access to Botswana and the Trans-Kalahari trade route, creating opportunities for bonded warehouses, livestock value chains, renewable energy projects and cross-border logistics operations.

Among all the proposed corridors, however, the chamber believes the Victoria Falls Road Industrial Corridor offers the quickest path to industrial expansion.

The corridor already benefits from established road, rail and electricity infrastructure and is considered suitable for heavy and medium manufacturing, timber and coal processing, and trade-related industries linked to the Hwange and Victoria Falls economies.

Because key trunk infrastructure is already in place, ZNCC says the Victoria Falls Road Corridor has the lowest servicing costs per industrial hectare and should be prioritised during the first phase of industrial land development.

The report identifies the shortage of serviced industrial land as the city's biggest obstacle to attracting new investment.

"The binding constraint on manufacturing investment in Bulawayo is serviced land, not demand," the report states.

Business strategist Busani Malaba said the proposed corridor model aligns with Zimbabwe's broader industrialisation agenda and could help restore Bulawayo's historic status as the country's manufacturing capital.

"Industrial growth is increasingly driven by well-planned economic clusters where infrastructure, logistics and production activities are integrated. Bulawayo already has a strong industrial heritage and strategic geographic advantages," Malaba said.

"If authorities can unlock serviced industrial land and provide supporting infrastructure, these corridors can become magnets for both domestic and foreign investment."

He added that investors increasingly favour development-ready industrial sites with reliable transport links and predictable regulatory systems, making corridor-based development an attractive proposition.

Development economist Rukudzo Mailela said the proposal reflects growing recognition that regional economic centres will play an important role in achieving NDS2 objectives.

"Bulawayo's location gives it natural access to regional markets in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia. The city can leverage that position to build logistics, manufacturing and value-addition industries," she said.

"What is important now is moving beyond planning to implementation through coordinated investment in roads, utilities, digital systems and investor support mechanisms."

ZNCC further argues that strategic corridor development would ease congestion within the central business district, establish logistics hubs on the city's outskirts, attract new manufacturing industries and increase municipal revenue through rates, development charges and service fees.

The chamber concludes that a revitalised Bulawayo, supported by serviced industrial land, an airport-based Special Economic Zone and fully functional industrial corridors, would be well positioned to compete for investment with regional centres such as Gaborone, Francistown and Polokwane rather than solely with Harare.