Story by Oleen Ndori
ZESA Enterprises is ramping up the production of smart meters and switchgear to enhance revenue collection and strengthen the electricity value chain nationwide.
In line with the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), which prioritises reducing the import bill, creating employment, and promoting local value chains, ZESA Enterprises is manufacturing a wide range of electrical equipment, including transformers, smart meters, and switchgear, contributing to the government’s vision of industrial growth and energy sector sustainability.
A visit to its plant in Harare by ZBC showed a hive of activity as the enterprise moves to lower the importation of these key pieces in the electricity value chain.
Those who work here, including graduate trainees, are confident that ZESA Enterprises is moving in the right direction.
“As a recent graduate, I think this is giving me an opportunity to put into practice what I was taught in school,” an intern said.
“As a young lady working here, I have found it empowering, and I think ZESA is doing a good job on gender inclusion,” a female employee said.
“Working in this male-dominated field is great and challenging, but we thank you for this opportunity,” another female employee said.
According to ZESA Enterprises Managing Director, Dr Godfrey Mugaviri, the vision is to drive the enterprise towards profitability and employment creation that has no gender bias.
“The recent approval by Cabinet of a project that is primarily responsible for manufacturing distribution control panels, switchgear, electric vehicles, chargers, among various other switchgears. You would appreciate that this enterprise was primarily formed in order to provide multi-diversified engineering solutions to the electricity sector and beyond.
“During NDS-1, you shall see, or you have probably heard about it, that we have manufactured a considerable number of transformers. Just as small as 600 transformers, now we are talking of over 2500, 3000 transformers that we are manufacturing. The premise of that joint venture agreement is such that ZESA Enterprises gets a 30 % free carry shareholding, which is a very attractive foreign direct investment for our country.
“The company in China retains 70 %, but what is more important about this agreement is that as we move towards the consummation of the overall contract, ZESA Enterprises incrementally increases its shareholding until it eventually takes over the joint venture company,” he said.
In the last sitting of Cabinet, the government revealed that the public-private partnership between ZESA Enterprises and Shanghai Jiangdao Electric Company will see Zimbabwe becoming a regional producer of switch gears and smart metres.
“Cabinet considered and approved the proposed Public Private Partnership Project between ZESA Enterprises and Electric Company for the establishment of a Manufacturing and Assembly Plant for the manufacture of switch-gears, smart meters, and Electric Vehicle Chargers. The country faces the growing need for modern switch gears as the national grid is expanding, while old equipment is being phased out.
“The Partnership will position the country as a switchgear supplier in the SADC region. Additionally, the availability of smart meters will enhance ZETDC’s efficiency in accurate billing, thereby boosting revenue collection, while the production of electric vehicle chargers aligns with global mobility trends. The partnership project will benefit the country through import substitution, foreign currency savings, job creation, technology transfer, enhanced energy supply, improved revenues for ZETDC, and the strengthening of stimulus to downstream sectors,” the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere said.
ZESA Enterprises produces various key electricity components from start to finish, using resources locally sourced from Dinson Iron and Steel Company in Manhize, the value chain growth within the National Development Strategy is a reality.
