Story by Mhlomuli Ncube
HWANGE-ONE of the companies established under the Second Republic’s investment drive, South Mining, is reshaping the coking coal production sector.
This comes after the company invested over US$800 000 into a state-of-the-art coal wash plant in Hwange, marking a major step in beneficiation and value addition.
Operating every hour of the day, the heavy machinery at the facility is not only boosting output but a good example of the government’s push for processing raw materials in Zimbabwe.
The plant removes impurities from coal, producing higher-quality coking coal and by-products that meet industrial standards.
This development aligns with President Mnangagwa’s vision of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy, partly through increased beneficiation of mineral resources.
South Mining was among the first companies brought in under a presidential programme launched three years ago, and it has since become a key player in the country’s coal sector.
“This plant has a total investment of over US$800 000, and it is a major processing plant in coal beneficiation, meaning that for whatever use of coal you need to pass it through the wash plant. This is a wash plant for removing impurities in the coal for the coking plants and other uses,” Project Manager, Engineer Donald Nkosana said.
The company is currently producing around 45 000 tonnes of coking coal monthly and has ambitious plans to expand production by further investing in technology and operational efficiency.
“We also have other plans to increase efficiency, as you know that the more efficient it is, the better results we have. Currently, we are running the first phase at an optimum level and producing about 45 000 tonnes of coking coal per month,” he said.
The presence of Chnese investors in local mineral processing echoes Zimbabwe’s broader vision of achieving shared prosperity through value addition in line with national development goals anchored on Vision 2030.
