MARTIN MAWAYA
MANHIZE—Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) plans to attract more than 300 downstream manufacturers to its 800-hectare Manhize Special Economic Zone as it shifts from primary steel production to building an integrated manufacturing hub anchored on locally produced steel.
The company said the industrial park is designed to cluster manufacturers around its steelworks, enabling locally produced steel to be converted into finished products such as wire mesh, nails, fencing materials, grinding media and other engineering products.
Chief executive Benson Xu said the next phase of the project would expand downstream manufacturing to reduce Zimbabwe’s dependence on imported steel products while positioning the country as a regional supplier of value-added steel.
“We are now in a position to complete the first phase of the project by manufacturing a range of steel products locally. These products will not only serve the domestic market but also have export potential,” Xu said.
Among the latest investments is a cement plant scheduled to begin production in September, with an annual production target of 200,000 tonnes.
The plant will use steel slag, a by-product of steelmaking, as a raw material.
A wire mesh plant is expected to come on stream in October, while steel balls, rods and nuts manufacturing plants are under development.
The company also plans to establish a flat steel products plant.
Plant manager Wilfred Motsi said the strategy was aimed at creating an industrial ecosystem that extends beyond steel production by promoting beneficiation, local manufacturing, skills transfer and supply chain development.
The integrated steelworks currently processes about 1.1 million tonnes of iron ore annually into around 600,000 tonnes of carbon steel.
Dinson aims to increase finished steel production to two million tonnes a year by 2030.
The company has invested about US$1.5 billion in mining, manufacturing, infrastructure and industrial value chain development at Manhize, with about 98% of raw materials sourced locally, supporting Zimbabwean suppliers and industries.
About 60% of the steel produced at Manhize is supplied to the domestic market, with the balance exported to regional markets, including Zambia.
Dinson expects its downstream manufacturing strategy to deepen import substitution, with the company estimating that its investment helped cut Zimbabwe’s steel import bill by about US$100 million in 2025 while increasing exports of locally produced steel.
The steelmaker operates a 50-megawatt captive power plant and a 20MW waste-gas recovery power plant to ensure uninterrupted production and is working with ZESA on plans to feed surplus electricity into the national grid.
Company officials estimate Zimbabwe holds about 40 billion tonnes of iron ore resources, arguing that the country’s long-term industrial potential lies in converting those resources into higher-value steel and manufactured products while attracting hundreds of downstream manufacturers to the Manhize industrial hub.
