Moses Ziyambi
A budding start-up run by a Zimbabwe national who left Zimbabwe for the United Kingdom some few years ago plans to set up a modern factory to produce chromadek roofing sheets, EnviroPress can report.
Brick and Paver was founded by Ashton Bvute who left Zimbabwe for China in 2019, but later moved to the UK where he is currently based.
The 34-year old entrepreneur says he has identified Masvingo as a good starting point for Brick and Paver, owing to the absence of similar investments in the whole province.
He said the family business plans to produce curved, bull-nosed and cranked IBR roof sheets of various thicknesses such as 0.25mm, 0.27mm. 0.3mm and 0.47mm, depending on the needs of clients.
“I have realized that the whole of Masvingo does not have local producers of roofing sheets and related sundries hence my plan to start there. The businesses that sell those products in Masvingo get their stock from Harare and Bulawayo, and this translates to higher prices. We have all the machinery in place and we hope to start setting up the factory in the last quarter of this year,” Bvute told EnviroPress.
He said the family-run business will also produce high quality pavers to help improve the choices available on the market.
“I come from Chivi district in Masvingo province and I have seen wide gaps in the market, and those gaps require us to plug them. I am passionate about construction which I consider to be a critical component of sustainable socio-economic development. That is the primary reason I have decided to make this venture my entry point into the manufacturing sector of our country’s economy,” said Bvute, who is also an educationist and author.
He says Masvingo possesses enormous human resources from which the business will tap, as well as a promising construction sector towards which the business will make contributions through the provision of quality materials.
“The idea is to start with roofing materials and pavers, but the ultimate goal is to grow and become a one-stop centre for all construction materials sold at very competitive prices. In that way, we will be able to develop Masvingo by creating new jobs,” he said.
When asked about his perception of the country’s investment climate in light of rising inflation and the charged political temperatures ahead of elections which will be held in August, Bvute said he hoped for the best outcome to allow the country to move forward.
“I hope the country will be able to quickly move from election mode and allow business to continue in confidence. Business needs assurance and reassurance and that is what I wish to see happening in the country,” said Bvute.
He said the company’s operations will be governed by strict adherence to environmental rules, and will strive to adopt the most environmentally-friendly practices.
