Bulawayo Council opens bids for municipal properties

The City of Bulawayo has invited residents, businesses and organisations to bid for leases on a wide range of municipal properties, including shops, factory shells, kiosks, preschool sites, overnight car parks and commercial stands.

In a public tender notice issued on Sunday, the local authority said eligible bidders must be Bulawayo ratepayers interested in leasing or developing municipal properties across the city. The properties are being offered under five-year leases, with some carrying an option to purchase and others subject to periodic review.

Available properties include kiosks at Centenary Park in Suburbs and Stanley Square in Makokoba, as well as a cloakroom at Renkini. Service industry stands in Cowdray Park are also up for tender, offering opportunities for businesses such as hair salons, grinding mills, carpentry workshops, gas retail outlets, welding operations, hardware shops and tyre-repair services.

Several factory shells at Kelvin North are available for enterprises involved in electrical appliance repairs, key cutting, shoe repairs, tailoring, dressmaking, carpet cleaning, leather crafts, bicycle repairs, welding, pottery, plumbing and carpentry.

The tender also covers shops in Makokoba, Sidojiwe, Nguboyenja, Iminyela, Njube and Mpopoma, with permitted business activities including general dealing, barbering, butchery, carpentry, hairdressing, bicycle repairs and firewood retailing.

The council is further offering land for preschools and crèches in Nkulumane and Magwegwe, an orphanage in Luveve, and a Cowdray Park property designated for an orphanage and preschool. Two sites in Cowdray Park are available for overnight parking, while a social club stand in Northend is designated for basketball.

A property in Matshobana, comprising 4 418 square metres of land and buildings measuring 415 square metres, is being offered for use as a beer garden.

Interested bidders must purchase tender forms from Office 914 on the ninth floor of the Tower Block at a non-refundable fee of US$34.65, inclusive of VAT, for each property or stand. Bids must specify the proposed rental or purchase price in United States dollars and be submitted on separate tender forms for each property, accompanied by proof of payment.

The council said the properties would be offered on an "as is" basis and cautioned that the highest bid would not necessarily be accepted.

A non-compulsory public tender briefing for individual bidders will be held at Small City Hall on October 20, 2026, while companies and organisations will attend on October 21. Both sessions are scheduled to begin at 10am.

The deadline for submitting sealed bids is November 11, 2026, at 10am. Applications must be addressed to the Town Clerk, City of Bulawayo, with tenders to be opened publicly at the closing time.

The local authority encouraged bona fide Bulawayo residents interested in developing the city to participate, specifically urging young people and people living with disabilities to submit bids.