Story by Grace Sibanda
TIMBER producers in Bulawayo have come up with strategies that have enabled the creation of employment and boosting industrial capacity.
Stakeholders in the timber industry in Bulawayo are pressing ahead with the revival of the sector despite a number of challenges facing the industry.
The industry has a huge potential in creating employment opportunities while also playing an important role towards revitalisation of Bulawayo’s industries.
“While many people await employment to be created by others for them, we are here carving a future for ourselves,” said one of the manufacturers.
Another added, “The timber industry is a lucrative one and we are happy to be playing our part in boosting the industries in the city so that they do not remain docile.”
“Many youths spend their time on drugs and committing a lot of crimes because they do not want to come out here and work. It is through what we do here where we get financial freedom and this industry is quite good,” another manufacturer noted.
The closing down of some industries in Bulawayo opened opportunities for new ones to thrive as Kmac industries are utilising old industrial buildings for the value addition of timber products.
“We saw a gap and decided to go for it. The closure of big industries has led to the growth of small businesses such as ourselves and we produce products that go all around the country with a few orders from outside the country. The timber sector is quite lucrative and we call upon the government to chip in and assist us to grow this industry,” said Kmac Investments Director, Killian Machingambi.
Small scale manufacturers of timber have commended government’s continued support financially and through infrastructural development so that the sector can thrive.
