Across Africa’s frontier economies, small and medium enterprises have become the engine room of survival, innovation and industrial growth. From metal fabrication workshops and carpentry bays to agro-processing units and leather manufacturing clusters, SMEs are increasingly carrying the weight of employment creation, household incomes and local production at a time large industries continue to face structural pressures. In Zimbabwe, the sector has evolved far beyond the informal tag often attached to it, emerging as a critical pillar of economic activity, youth empowerment and community resilience. Yet for years, thousands of entrepreneurs have operated under punishing conditions — cramped spaces, unsafe structures, weak sanitation systems, unreliable utilities and limited access to organised industrial facilities. These challenges have constrained productivity, undermined formalisation efforts and restricted the ability of small businesses to scale into sustainable enterprises capable of supporting wider industrialisation. The government now says it wants to fundamentally alter that trajectory. At the centre of the new push is the Gazaland SME Infrastructure Project in Harare, one of the flagship programmes being implemented through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO). The initiative seeks to transform one of Zimbabwe’s busiest manufacturing hubs into a modern industrial ecosystem equipped with structured workspaces for small businesses operating in sectors ranging from engineering and metal fabrication to furniture production, leather processing and value addition. Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development minister Monica Mutsvangwa (MM) says the project represents a broader national strategy under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) to modernise SME infrastructure across the country, expand safe and productive workspaces, stimulate formalisation, and unlock opportunities for women, youth and rural entrepreneurs. In this interview with Zimbabwe Independent reporter Freeman Makopa (FM), Mutsvangwa (MM) outlines government’s vision for SME infrastructure development, the progress at Gazaland, and how the programme is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s industrial base and stimulate inclusive economic growth:
FM: The Gazaland SME infrastructure project has become a major point of interest for informal traders and manufacturers. Could you update the nation on the progress of the project and explain how it is expected to transform operations for SMEs working in Gazaland?
MM: The Gazaland SME Infrastructure Project is one of the flagship interventions being implemented by the ministry through the SSMEDCO to modernise and formalise Zimbabwe’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. As you may be aware, Gazaland remains one of the country’s most vibrant hubs for MSMEs, particularly in metal fabrication, engineering, leather processing, carpentry, artisanal production, and other light manufacturing activities. However, for many years, the majority of MSMEs operating in Gazaland have faced serious infrastructure challenges.
FM: What type of challenges are these?
MM: These included inadequate workspace, poor sanitation, unsafe operating conditions, and limited access to organised industrial facilities. The ministry therefore saw the need to intervene in order to create a safer, more productive, and more organised industrial ecosystem for our SMEs.
Through the SMEDCO Gazaland MSME Workspace Project, we undertook a major infrastructure upgrading programme aimed at increasing organised workspaces from only nine units to a total of 47 fully-functional industrial units. I am pleased to inform the nation that Phase 1 of the project, comprising 17 units, is nearing completion, and tenant occupation is expected to commence in June 2026. Phase 2, which will add a further 30 units, is scheduled to begin in June 2026 and conclude by September 2026.
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FM: How many MSMEs will be accommodated upon completion?
MM: Upon full completion, the facility will accommodate 47 MSMEs operating across key productive sectors such as leather processing and leather products manufacturing, metal fabrication and engineering, carpentry and furniture production, light manufacturing, value addition, as well as technical and industrial services. This project is not merely about buildings. It is about transforming livelihoods, enhancing productivity, promoting innovation, and restoring dignity to our entrepreneurs. As government, we remain fully committed to building an enabling environment where SMEs can grow into sustainable enterprises that contribute meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s economic development.
FM: Within the framework of NDS2, what is the government’s overall vision for SME infrastructure development in Zimbabwe?
MM: Under the National Development Strategy 2, the government recognises micro, small and medium enterprises as the pulse of economic transformation, industrialisation, employment creation, innovation, and inclusive growth. As government, our vision is to ensure that MSMEs across both urban and rural areas have increased access to structured, modern, safe, and productive workspaces that support enterprise growth, competitiveness, and formalisation. At present, there remains a substantial infrastructure backlog, particularly in areas such as organised workspaces, factory shells, industrial clusters, market stalls, and production centres. Addressing this gap is therefore a national priority. The government is fully seized with efforts to progressively reduce this backlog through strategic partnerships involving central government, local authorities, the private sector, financial institutions, and development partners.
FM: Tell us about monitoring and evaluation.
MM: Importantly, under the NDS2 monitoring and evaluation framework, specifically within the thematic area covering job creation, youth development, creative industry, and culture, government will monitor the proportion of MSMEs allocated workspaces as one of the key national performance indicators. This is a clear demonstration of government’s seriousness and commitment towards improving MSME access to workspace infrastructure. It shows that SME infrastructure development is no longer being treated as a peripheral issue, but rather as a strategic national development priority linked directly to economic growth, decent job creation, productivity enhancement, and inclusive industrial development.
FM: Your ministry has overseen projects such as SME workspaces, industrial hubs, safe markets, and processing centres. What tangible impact have these infrastructure initiatives had on small businesses and local communities so far?
MM: The ministry has implemented notable projects in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gwanda, Chiredzi, and several other districts. These infrastructure initiatives are already having a tangible impact on small businesses and local communities. Firstly, they are providing MSMEs with structured, safe, and organised workspaces that are conducive for production, manufacturing, value addition, and business growth. In addition, the projects are helping to improve the overall image and perception of MSME workspaces by transforming previously congested and informal operating environments into more modern and dignified business centres.
FM: Tell us about other impacts of the initiative.
MM: Importantly, the infrastructure programmes are also promoting the formalisation and sustainability of MSMEs by creating organised operating environments that improve business registration, regulatory compliance, access to markets, access to finance, and integration into formal value chains. Beyond direct enterprise benefits, these projects are stimulating local economic activity, creating employment opportunities, strengthening community supply chains, and contributing to broader national industrialisation and inclusive economic development objectives under Vision 2030.
FM: Looking ahead, what new SME infrastructure projects or expansion plans should Zimbabweans expect under NDS2, particularly for women, youth, and rural entrepreneurs?
MM: Zimbabweans should expect accelerated SME infrastructure development under NDS2, with particular focus on empowering women, youth, and rural entrepreneurs. Under the NDS2 thematic area on job creation, youth development, creative industry, and culture, local authorities are now expected to strengthen and expand their MSME workspace development plans in order to respond to the growing demand for safe, structured, and productive operating spaces across the country.
At ministerial level, the ministry has already established national monitoring frameworks through provincial and district offices to identify, assess, monitor, and track MSME infrastructure development projects in all provinces and districts. This framework ensures that workspace development becomes a coordinated national priority and that all infrastructure projects are properly reported, monitored, and aligned with national economic development objectives. As a result, government expects increased land allocation for the development of factory shells, commercial hubs, industrial clusters, safe markets, processing centres, and shared production facilities across both urban and rural districts. In addition, government is actively collaborating with the private sector, local authorities, financial institutions, and development partners to expand factory spaces and productive infrastructure specifically targeting women, youth, and rural entrepreneurs.
Currently, there are numerous projects underway involving the construction of shared workspaces, technology and innovation hubs, traders’ markets, agro-processing centres, and modern vending facilities in both remote rural communities and urban centres. These initiatives are advancing workspace development across the country.