KEY POINTS
- A Bulawayo soybean oil plant is about 85% complete.
- It is expected to employ 300 to 400 people directly once operating.
- The facility is adding rooftop solar and a separate solar installation.
A new oil plant in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is about 85% complete and is expected to create up to 400 direct jobs once it starts operating, 263Chat reported.
The facility will process soybeans into cooking oil, combining grain storage, oil extraction, refining and bottling in one integrated system. It should also open business opportunities for local farmers, transport operators and small-scale entrepreneurs.
Oil plant equipment arriving
Zacharia Mupachike, a sub-manager at Fats & Feeds, said construction was progressing, with about 65% of the required equipment already on site. He spoke during a tour of the facility by Information Minister Zhemu Soda.
The project includes storage tanks holding about 250,000 liters each and grain silos with a capacity of roughly 5,000 metric tons apiece. Those facilities will provide “substantial storage capacity for raw materials,” Mupachike said, helping the business manage supplies and keep production running.
Meanwhile, the plant already employs 276 construction workers. Most came from the local area, with only 25 from outside, he said. Young people and women have also worked on the build, and a Bulawayo contractor is involved in the project.
Jobs and solar power
Once running, the plant should employ between 300 and 400 people directly, although the final number will depend on staffing needs and the scale of production. It should also create indirect jobs in transport, vehicle maintenance, catering and other support services.
In addition, the facility is adding renewable energy. Workers are installing rooftop solar panels, and a separate solar installation is under development. That could provide an extra power source and help manage energy costs, a key concern for manufacturers that need reliable electricity to stay competitive.
Still, the project carries wider weight. Zimbabwe is trying to expand domestic manufacturing, cut its reliance on imported finished goods and add value to farm produce. And Bulawayo, historically one of the country’s major industrial centers, could gain a stronger manufacturing base.
