China is about to open one of Africa’s largest steel mills in Zimbabwe. The $1.5 billion Manhize steel plant,owned and built by the Chinese Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco), will begin production in mid-June.
''The market is waiting for us. We have had many inquiries from several countries in the region. However, the local market, which imports almost 100% of our steel, especially from South Africa, is more important,” Joseph Shoko, the public relations manager for the Chinese company said on May 22.
The plant will be an integral part of a new, 2,300-hectare, smart city for which a roadmap has already been developed. The plant now employs more than 1,500 workers; another 7,000 jobs are expected to be created when the project is fully implemented. The total number of workers in the mining and processing industries is expected to rise to 20,000. Initial production volume will begin at 600,000 tonnes and increase to an enormous five million tonnes per year when fully operational. The plant has its own 70-megawatt power station.
