Story by Owen Mandovha
THE local brick manufacturing industry is benefiting from the ongoing construction boom after recording a surge in demand driven by the government’s infrastructure and national housing projects.
The good times are rolling for the brick manufacturing sector as it is witnessed a surge in demand underpinned by the government’s robust infrastructural and national housing development trajectory.
A countless number of housing projects have been rolled out by the government and the private sector as the country targets constructing 225 000 houses by the year 2025.
Mt Hampden-based Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed brick maker, Willdale, is enjoying a good run of business on the back of this renewed growth of the construction industry.
“The government national housing project is giving us a lifeline to our business. There has been a surge in demand for bricks whereby at one point we ran out of stock. The future trends in the construction industry look very positive,” said the Managing Director of Willdale Bricks, Mr Nyasha Matonda.
The construction boom is rejuvenating upstream and downstream sub-sectors, including a local property development that has embarked on massive real estate development planning to lay one billion bricks by 2030.
“We are part of the boom being registered in the construction industry and our target is to do projects reaching a total of 1 billion bricks by 2030. Our projects lined up are set to transform the local industry,” said Property developer, Ken Sharpe.
Meanwhile, a local financial institution has established a property division to ride on a government housing plan which has drawn several building societies into sprouting housing projects which have reduced the national housing backlog.
