Published: 10 May 2025

Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) Chief Executive Officer, Takana Xu, has called on Zimbabwean industries to stop importing steel and instead support local production, saying the country is now capable of meeting domestic demand.

Speaking during a recent media tour of the US$1.5 billion DISCO steel plant in Manhize, Xu said the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had revealed that millions of US dollars are being spent each year on steel imports - resources that could be retained within the local economy.

"We are producing quality steel locally. Steel is now available here - do not import," said Xu. "The Ministry of Industry gave us a figure that last year and in the past few years, we had spent so many US dollars to import steel, which I think has a very significant impact on import substitution."

He added: "What we are producing is proper steel, not recycled stuff from Mbare. It can sustain any mega project or high-rise building."

DISCO, currently being constructed by Chinese global industrial giant Tsingshan Holding Group, has already started producing pig iron and steel billets, marking the beginning of what is set to become Africa's largest steel plant.

The plant, which is expected to produce five million tonnes of steel annually upon full completion, has reached 90% capitalisation and sits on a vast site earmarked for a future smart city in Mvuma.

Xu also expressed readiness to work with small-to-medium chrome miners, recognizing them as vital to the company's production cycle. His remarks came during a meeting with Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) officials from Masvingo, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Midlands, and Harare, who accompanied the tour.

In addition to the Manhize steel plant, DISCO operates DINSON Colliery in Hwange and Afrochine Smelting, a ferrochrome plant in Selous - creating a vertically integrated production system that feeds into the Manhize operation.

With DISCO's production now underway, Xu's plea highlights a broader push for local content policies and import substitution in Zimbabwe's industrial strategy. Industry experts believe leveraging local steel will help spur domestic manufacturing, lower construction costs, and create much-needed employment.

As government and industry align towards localisation, stakeholders hope the Manhize project will be a catalyst for industrial transformation, placing Zimbabwe on the global map as a regional steel powerhouse.
- NewZimbabwe

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