STRUCTURE AND DESIGN ISSUE 88

ISSUE 88 | ZIMBABWE’S LEADING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE

Amcotts Cements Its Position as Msasa’s Heavy-Duty Parts and Truck Destination

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Welcome to this edition of Structure and Design, where we take stock of a construction and property sector that continues to move with real momentum across Zimbabwe, from Harare’s industrial belt to Bulawayo’s emerging retail landscape.

We begin in the Greater Msasa Industrial Area, where Amcotts Trading has built one of Harare’s most comprehensive one-stop facilities for heavy-duty tyres, truck parts and industrial machinery.

Established in 2000, the company has grown from a distributor of used trucks and trailers into an authorised supplier of globally recognised brands, and its new Msasa premises, opened in May, reflect that evolution: a former industrial building with a distinctive saw-toothed roof, extensively renovated into a combined showroom, bonded warehouse, workshop and office complex.

Back in Harare, a large steel-framed warehouse rising in Arlington is on track to become a new tobacco storage facility

by December 2026, with Grid Transmission leading the structural steel fabrication and erection behind the build.

In Hatfield, Armtrust Construction is nearing completion on Phase 1 of 81 on St Patricks, a cluster of 14 new three-bedroom villas that forms the first stage of a larger 28-unit estate, well positioned near the schools, shops and amenities that continue to draw homebuyers to the area.

We also profile Goodmark Engineering and Construction, formed in April 2024 by Mr Innocent Machida and Mr Taurai Masutso, whose journey from smaller residential and commercial jobs to large-scale industrial work is well illustrated by its current flagship project, a warehouse and mixed-use development at 571 Derbyshire, Waterfalls.

Elsewhere in Harare’s residential sector, WestProp’s Millennium Heights continues to progress in stages, with completed blocks now occupied even as construction continues elsewhere on the estate.

The project’s stepped apartment tower, with its cantilevered, angular balconies, remains a distinctive presence on the skyline, while active building work, including structural concrete and rebar underway on a new block, points to the estate’s continuing growth.

Further afield, construction is under way on the new Fairgrounds Shopping Centre in Bulawayo, with Mandebvu Contracting handling earthworks and site preparation for developerTerrace Africa. Described as the first development of its kind in the city, the project also marks Mandebvu’s first major undertaking in Bulawayo, establishing the firm’s presence there.

We were also pleased to see the sector come together in July, as the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association hosted its inaugural Construction Industry Recognition Night at the Harare International Conference Centre, marking 40 years of service to the country’s built environment.

Finally, we close on a note of anticipation, with excitement building around The Mall of Zimbabwe, the country’s first fully enclosed, air-conditioned regional shopping mall, after property consultant Kura Chihota’s social media commentary under #MoneyIsMoving signalled growing momentum behind the long-anticipated project.

From industrial infrastructure we move to residential design, where Brown Engineering’s structural work As ever, we hope this issue offers a useful behind a new eight-unit townhouse cluster at 32 window into an industry that continues to build, Kent Road in Highlands demonstrates the quieter, quite literally, the country’s future. less visible discipline that underpins architecturally ambitious builds. Close to Highland Park and Chisipite, the development is a reminder that good design depends as much on sound engineering as on striking rooflines.

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AMCOTTS CEMENTS ITS POSITION AS MSASA’S HEAVY-DUTY PARTS AND TRUCK DESTINATION Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP

Amcotts Trading has built one of Harare's most comprehensive one-stop facilities for heavy-duty tyres, truck parts, and industrial machinery, from the heart of the Greater Msasa Industrial Area, on the corner of Anthony Avenue and Martin Drive.

32 Anthony Road, Msasa, Harare Contact info +263 77 247 1299 brett@amcotts.com

Established in 2000 and now a leading name in the sector, the company has grown from a distributor of used trucks and trailers into an authorised supplier of globally recognised brands, serving fleets, mines, workshops, and agricultural operations across Zimbabwe.

The new Msasa site itself, which opened in May this year, tells much of the story.

Housed in a former industrial building with a distinctive saw-toothed roof, the premises were extensively renovated to create a combined showroom, bonded warehouse, workshop, and office complex.

A steel mezzanine floor, engineered to tie into the original concrete pillars, was added above part of the warehouse, expanding usable storage without sacrificing the openness of the ground floor.

Natural light floods through extensive glass panelling in the roof structure, illuminating a warehouse floor that stretches across roughly 2,000 square metres, with a further 1,000 square metres of mezzanine storage above.

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Walking the aisles, the scale and organisation of Amcotts' inventory is immediately apparent.

Tall blue-and-orange industrial racking runs the length of several corridors, each shelf carefully stacked with boxed components ranging from gearbox and drivetrain parts to clutch assemblies, wiring harnesses, and branded genuine-parts cartons.

Elsewhere, floor space is given over to larger items: engine blocks still wrapped in protective plastic, wooden shipping crates stamped with part numbers and handling instructions, and rows of red Motul lubricant drums and pails stacked on pallets ready for dispatch.

Differential housings, axle assemblies, fuel tanks, and tie-rod components are laid out on the floor in some sections, each tagged with handwritten reference notes, evidence of a business that prizes traceability as much as volume.

32 Anthony Road, Msasa, Harare Contact info +263 77 247 1299 brett@amcotts.com

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Amcotts represents an impressive roster of manufacturers, including XCMG for construction and mining machinery, Shacman and Sinotruk for heavy commercial trucks, FAW Trucks, and Cummins for engines, alongside premium tyre and workshop equipment brands.

This manufacturer-direct model, the company says, removes middlemen from the supply chain, keeping prices competitive while shortening delivery times. All Shacman units, for instance, are sold with a two-year warranty, while genuine spare parts typically carry cover of between twelve and eighteen months.

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The showroom areas reflect the same attention to detail as the parts warehouse. Rows of Shacman X3000 cabs, finished in crisp white-over-black livery, stand ready for inspection, some displayed nose-on in a dedicated bay upstairs alongside crated glass panels and other packaged components awaiting fitment.

A red Cummins engine, its cooling fan and belt system clearly visible, sits prominently near the customer service counter, offering visitors a tangible sense of the engineering quality behind the brand.

Service infrastructure has clearly been a priority in the redevelopment. A glazed service window connects the main warehouse floor to a small back office, where staff can be seen processing orders and liaising with customers without disrupting the flow of the shop floor.

Reception and sales counters, finished in dark laminate, are positioned to give staff clear sightlines across the inventory, while fire safety equipment, extinguisher stations, and hose reels are positioned at regular intervals throughout the building, a nod to the scale of stock being managed on site.

Externally, the Amcotts signage is difficult to miss.

32 Anthony Road, Msasa, Harare Contact info +263 77 247 1299 brett@amcotts.com

32 Anthony Road, Msasa, Harare Contact info +263 77 247 1299 brett@amcotts.com

Bold red-and-white branding sits above a row of manufacturer logos, XCMG, FAW Trucks, Shacman, and Sinotruk, spanning the width of the building's dark grey facade. Red perimeter railings and a landscaped frontage give the site a tidy, professional first impression, while ample parking accommodates the steady flow of trade customers and fleet operators who make Msasa their first stop for parts and machinery.

Beyond the flagship Msasa showroom, Amcotts maintains a second branch at 118 Simon Mazorodze Road, Southerton, Harare, extending its reach for customers based on the southern side of the city, and a further branch at 11 Bristol Road, North Belmont, Bulawayo, bringing its parts and service offering to Zimbabwe's second city.

With its combination of manufacturerbacked authenticity, expansive warehousing, and a service model built around speed and reliability, Amcotts continues to reinforce Msasa's reputation as the commercial and industrial engine room of Harare. For fleet owners and workshop operators alike, the Anthony Avenue facility stands as a benchmark for what a modern parts and equipment distributor in Zimbabwe can look like.

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MILLENNIUM HEIGHTS, A MIXED-USE ESTATE TAKING SHAPE IN HARARE Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP

WestProp's Millennium Heights development is progressing in stages, with completed residential blocks now occupied while construction continues on additional buildings and shared amenities across the estate.

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The project centres on a distinctive stepped apartment tower with cantilevered, angular balconies, alongside several apartment blocks.

Photographs of the site show units that have been furnished and finished by their owners — sold off-plan and handed over as shells, in keeping with WestProp's model — interspersed with active construction, including a building where structural concrete and rebar work is underway, marked by a "Play" banner indicating the estate's planned recreational component.

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Aerial views of the site reveal the scale of the development. The stepped tower sits within a large paved parking area, with palm-lined walkways connecting it to nearby buildings. The estate features solar carports — rows of solar panels mounted above parking bays, both generating power and providing shade for vehicles.

Wider shots of the estate show the buildings positioned on open grassland at the edge of an established suburb, with the surrounding city visible in the distance, underscoring the estate's position as a new development on the urban periphery.

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Units toured for this report — bought off-plan and finished independently by their owners, in line with WestProp's shellhandover model — show a consistent design language across the property. Kitchens feature wood-grain cabinetry, white stone countertops, gas hobs, and built-in ovens, opening onto living and dining spaces finished with dark wood coffee tables and patterned area rugs. Some units include compact kitchenettes with bar fridges, suited to smaller or studio-style layouts.

Bedrooms range from more traditional primary suites — with tufted wingback armchairs, upholstered channel-tufted headboards, and matching bedside lamps — to minimalist studio configurations featuring wood-panelled wardrobes, wallmounted televisions, and sheer curtain treatments. Bathrooms in the more finished units include freestanding soaking tubs, marble-effect tiling, and gold-finished fixtures.

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The estate's shared spaces reflect similar attention to finish. A doubleheight lobby, accessed through a black-slatted entrance canopy, opens onto a reception area finished in polished black-andwhite marble, with a manned front desk and a spiral staircase rising through the atrium.

Landscaping throughout the grounds combines palm trees, aloes, and cacti with manicured hedging, and one of the buildings features a large metal elephant sculpture set into its front garden.

Construction images show the extent of remaining work.

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One building retains scaffolding along a full wing, while another section of the site shows a bare concrete slab and rebar framework, with contractors and site workers present and formwork materials stacked for ongoing pours. Parking areas near the finished buildings are already in use, with vehicles including pickup trucks and SUVs parked beneath the completed solar carport, indicating that portions of the estate are operational even as other blocks remain under construction.

Millennium Heights is being developed in phases, a common approach for large mixed-use estates that combine residential and recreational elements. The presence of completed, furnished, and occupied units alongside active construction sites suggests the estate is following a rolling handover model, with buildings released for occupancy as they are finished rather than waiting for the entire site to be complete.

Ownership of a unit at Millennium Heights comes with a sectional title deed, along with an LP gas connection, backup power and water, 24hour security, fibre internet, and solar power.

For prospective residents, the development's positioning — on the edge of an existing suburb, with open land still surrounding much of the site — points to further growth expected in the surrounding area as the estate and its neighbouring infrastructure mature.

WestProp has not detailed a specific completion timeline for the remaining phases, including the recreational components signalled by on-site marketing banners.

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Begins Work on Bulawayo's Fairgrounds Shopping Centre Text by: Martin Chemhere Images supplied by client

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Construction is under way on the new Fairgrounds Shopping Centre in Bulawayo, with Mandebvu Contracting carrying out the earthworks and civil services package for developer Terrace Africa. The project marks Mandebvu Contracting’s first major undertaking in Bulawayo and represents an important step in establishing the company’s presence in the city and the wider Matabeleland region.

The new retail centre forms part of the broader transformation of the site into the Zimbabwe International Conference and Exhibition Smart City, formerly known as the Bulawayo Trade Fair Showgrounds. Long established as the home of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, the precinct is being repositioned as a modern mixed-use commercial destination, with the Fairgrounds Shopping Centre forming the first phase of the wider redevelopment.

The retail centre forms part of a broader transformation planned for the site, which sits within what is being rebranded the Zimbabwe International Conference and Exhibition Smart City, previously known simply as the Bulawayo Trade Fair Showgrounds. The grounds have a long history as the home of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, and plans to redevelop the wider precinct into a mixed commercial hub have been under discussion for several years, with the retail centre positioned as the first phase of that transformation.

The foundation stone for the Fairgrounds Retail Centre was laid earlier this year by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu, in a ceremony that officials described as a turning point for investment in Bulawayo.

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Terrace Africa managing director Brett Abrahamse said at the time that the project represented the company's fourteenth retail development in Zimbabwe, and drew comparisons to the recently completed Greenfields Retail Centre in Harare, which was commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The Fairgrounds project has been valued at around twelve million US dollars in direct investment, with the underlying land said to be worth a further three million dollars, according to figures shared by the ZITF Company board.

Across the site, Mandebvu Contracting’s earthmoving fleet is reshaping the landscape, with excavators, graders and dump trucks working across the expansive footprint as the earthworks and civil services package gathers momentum. Large sections have already been demolished, cleared and levelled, while excavation and backfilling continue across the remaining areas. The scale of activity offers an early indication of the development to come. Surrounded by established residential areas, mature trees and neighbouring recreational facilities, the project will introduce a substantial new commercial destination into this well-established part of the city. For Bulawayo, the development represents more than the construction of another retail centre. The level of private investment signals growing confidence in the city and adds to a broader pipeline of development taking shape across Bulawayo.

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With work now well under way, the Fairgrounds project is beginning to turn the wider vision for the historic precinct into a physical reality. The Fairgrounds development occupies a strategically located site within easy reach of central Bulawayo and is well connected to surrounding residential areas and established amenities. Its position within the wider Fairgrounds precinct gives the new centre a strong platform to serve both local residents and visitors to one of the city’s best-known destinations. With completion targeted for the end of 2027, the project is set to add a major new retail destination to Bulawayo’s commercial landscape and contribute to the renewed investment taking shape across the city.

As construction progresses, the Fairgrounds Shopping Centre will begin to give physical form to the wider ambitions for the precinct - transforming a historic Bulawayo landmark into a new generation of commercial and mixed-use development.

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Brown Engineering's Structural Work Underpins New Highlands Townhouse Development

Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP

Brown Engineering has completed the structural and engineering work behind a new residential development at 32 Kent Road in Harare's Highlands suburb, translating an ambitious architectural design into a structure that meets building codes across all eight units of the cluster, and adding another notable project to the firm's growing footprint in Harare's residential construction sector.

Realising that vision at scale, and consistently across eight separate units, fell to Brown Engineering. Designing around angled roof overhangs and expansive glazed sections requires careful load calculations and structural planning, work that must hold up uniformly whether applied to a single unit or repeated across an entire cluster.

The development, a cluster of eight double-storey townhouses built in partnership with KW Construction, sits close to the Highland Park shopping centre and the neighbouring Chisipite area, both near a number of schools, restaurants and everyday amenities.

Getting this consistency right across multiple units, rather than treating each as a standalone structure, is one of the more demanding aspects of cluster-style developments, where small variations in load-bearing calculations can compound across a site if not carefully managed.

Each unit is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home, with an open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area leading out to private outdoor space, alongside a scullery, private garden and two parking bays per unit.

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Brown Engineering's role extended well beyond the drawing board. The firm coordinated closely with the on-site construction team throughout the build, ensuring that services, foundations and load-bearing elements were sequenced correctly alongside the architectural finishes going up around them. That kind of continuous, The location and layout together position the development squarely within the kind of higher-end residential market that on-site engineering input is increasingly standard on has become increasingly active in Harare's northern suburbs higher-end residential developments in Harare, where in recent years. The design, by architect Bruce Rowlands architectural ambition and structural rigour have to move in step rather than in isolation. of Achitexture Spatial Design, called for an angular gable roofline with a wood-panelled underside, paired with large black-framed windows to draw in natural light.

Engineers working this closely with contractors, rather than signing off on plans and stepping back, has become a hallmark of how the more architecturally distinctive developments in the city are now being delivered. The result is a development that reads as considered rather than merely assembled.

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The finished units combine brick and render cladding with the angular roof form specified by the architect, giving the Kent Road cluster a distinct look within the older, tree-lined streets of Highlands, while still resting on structural foundations engineered to carry that design reliably over time. The angular rooflines and large glazed sections that give the development its visual identity are, in effect, made possible by the structural planning working quietly behind them, a reminder that a building's engineering is often most successful when it is least visible to the people living in it.

Construction on the project was led by KW Construction, a family-owned Zimbabwean firm established in 2012 by founder Kevin Wild, which has grown into one of the more established names in Zimbabwean construction, with past projects including Mbano Manor Hotel and Shongwe Lookout in Victoria Falls, alongside residential renovations and industrial builds across Harare and beyond.

For Brown Engineering, the Kent Road development adds to a growing body of work supporting more architecturally ambitious residential projects across Harare's northern suburbs, where increasingly complex rooflines, open-plan layouts and large glazed sections are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

As demand for this kind of higher-end residential design Finishing touches, including the development's exterior and continues to grow in the city, the structural engineering interior paintwork, were handled by BK Painters, whose warm, underpinning it, often unseen once a project is complete, muted stucco tones paired with exposed red brick were remains central to whether such designs can be built chosen to sit comfortably within the established character of reliably and to standard. The Kent Road cluster stands as Highlands rather than stand apart from it, with dark charcoal a case in point: an architecturally distinctive development window frames, balcony railings and steelwork adding contrast whose visual appeal depends, ultimately, on the structural against the lighter render. discipline applied long before the first coat of paint went on.

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ARMTRUST CONSTRUCTION COMPLETES NEW VILLAS ALONG HATFIELD’S ST PATRICKS ROAD

Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP

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A cluster of 14, new three-bedroom villas has emerged along St Patricks Road in Hatfield, Harare, as construction firm Armtrust Construction nears completion on its latest residential project, 81 on St Patricks.

The completed cluster forms Phase 1 of a larger estate, with the development set to total 28 villa units once construction is finished. The development sits close to central Hatfield, within easy reach of the schools, shops and other suburban amenities that have made the area a steady draw for homebuyers.

The site is laid out along a single paved central street, with two facing rows of houses arranged along either side — a layout visible in aerial images of the estate, which show the rooftops framed by surrounding suburban housing and, in the distance, the Harare skyline.

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The houses themselves are not built to a symmetrical, mirror-image layout; this was a deliberate design choice for privacy, so that no unit looks directly onto another property. Each villa follows a broadly similar design: a gabled roofline finished in grey standing-seam or corrugated sheeting, paired with a double-height glazed gable window that floods the main living space with light. Facades combine exposed red brick with painted stucco render, giving the row of houses a uniform but not repetitive street presence.

Driveways are finished in herringbone-pattern paving, and small lawns and garden beds run along each unit's frontage, with landscaping still being completed in some sections at the time the images were taken. Inside, the houses lean on a double-volume layout for their main living areas, with exposed timber roof trusses visible beneath the pitched ceiling and a central exposed-brick partition used as a feature wall. Full-height sliding doors connect living spaces to small private courtyards, and high ceilings and corner windows recur through several rooms, including bedrooms and passageways.

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What's nearby

Hatfield's established infrastructure is one of the development's selling points. For everyday shopping, residents have St Patricks Shopping Centre and Chan's Shops close by, while the Meadowveld Superette handles grocery runs just under a kilometre from central Hatfield. Education options in the surrounding area are extensive.

Kitchens are fitted with stone countertops, stainless steel sinks and integrated hobs set into island counters, with some units fitted with gas hobs and others electric, depending on the layout. Cabinetry is customisable to individual client preferences rather than following a single fixed finish, and is not uniformly grey.

Exposed brick splashbacks and open shelving continue the material palette used elsewhere in the houses, and several units include a scullery or pantry leading off the main kitchen. Bathrooms feature built-in tubs, wall-mounted mixer taps and hand showers, recessed shower niches, and patterned feature tiles, though finishing work — including tiling and fixtures — was still under way in some units.

The estate is bordered by a red-brick perimeter wall bearing its signage, and its surroundings include established suburban housing. What appears in some images to be a fuel and logistics yard to one side of the property is in fact a water bowser used for water deliveries to the site, positioned on the section of land designated as Phase 2, where the remaining 14 villas are currently under construction to bring the estate to its full total of 28 units.

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The street takes its name from St Patrick's College, a longstanding boys' school, and is also home to Hatfield Girls High School and Hatfield Junior School, both long-established institutions with strong local reputations. Widdicombe Primary School is a further option nearby, while Westwood International School offers an international curriculum a short drive away.

ADVERT For higher education, the Catholic University of Zimbabwe is roughly 2.5km from central Hatfield. Healthcare needs are covered by the Hatfield Clinic on St Patricks Road itself, which operates around the clock. On the transport front, the development's location is one of its stronger selling points: Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is about a five-minute drive away, and the Harare CBD is reachable in roughly ten minutes. The suburb is also well connected by Seke Road, Airport Road and Chiremba Road, which link Hatfield to the wider city.

For recreation, residents have access to the Falcon Golf Club, along with a number of lodges and wedding venues scattered through the wider Hatfield area. Armtrust Construction, which has offices at 226 Sam Nujoma Street in Avondale, Harare, offers a full range of construction services and have accumulated more than five years of experience in the sector. 81 on St Patricks is among the residential projects the company has undertaken in Harare's northern and eastern suburbs, an area that has seen steady demand for smaller-scale villa developments in recent years.

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Grid Transmission Pushes Toward December Completion Of New Tobacco Storage Facility in Arlington, Harare Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP

A large steel-framed warehouse rising in Arlington, Harare, is on track to become a new tobacco storage facility

by December 2026, according to Grid Transmission (Private Limited), the structural steel fabrication and erection company behind the build. The site is in an active mid-construction phase. One end of the long shed is already fully clad in green corrugated roofing and wall sheeting, while the remainder of the structure stands as an open red steel skeleton, its trusses and columns stretching down the plot in a long, orderly line. Workers can be seen on scaffolding and elevated platforms fitting cladding panel by panel, supported by a mobile crane truck and a delivery vehicle stacked with bundles of white and green roofing sheets.

Elsewhere on site, bitumen and fuel tanks, a cement mixer, stacked masonry blocks, and shipping containers marked "T.S. Lines" sit beneath completed sections of roof, while a front-loader and other equipment operate around the dirt perimeter, part of the ordinary clutter of an active build. "This site gives a good sense of how our projects actually come together in stages," said Rob Butler, General Manager of Grid Transmission. "You start with the bare frame going up bay by bay, and then the cladding follows behind it. By the time we're done, the whole thing reads as one continuous building, even though it was erected piece by piece."

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The pace of the work, Butler said, depends heavily on the steady arrival of materials and the coordination of teams moving between the frame and the cladding line. "We try to keep the sequencing tight so that nothing sits idle," Butler said. "Once the columns and trusses are up, the cladding crews can move in behind them fairly quickly, and that's really what keeps a project like this on schedule."

The Arlington project sits within a much longer history for Grid Transmission, which was founded in 1974 and is based in Graniteside, Harare. Over five decades, the company has built a reputation as one of Zimbabwe's leading structural steel fabrication and erection businesses, working across industrial, retail, church, school, and mining sectors. Its steelframe buildings are designed as a standardised "building block" onto which additional features — canopies, roof vents, translucent sheeting, timber mezzanines, and cantilevers — can be layered depending on a client's needs.The company offers spans from 10 to 33 metres and lengths in multiples of six metres, allowing for warehouses, showrooms, and canopies of widely varying scale and shape, each tailored to the practical demands of the client commissioning it.

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That flexibility is visible in the sheer range of past projects, from vehicle dealerships and shopping centre roofs to fuel-station canopies, mine headgear towers, and circular trusses crowning churches and schools. The Arlington tobacco storage facility, by comparison, is a more straightforward industrial shed, but Butler said the fundamentals of the process remain consistent across the company's work. "Every site brings its own logistics and its own sequencing," Butler said.

"This one is a good example of steady, methodical progress — the frame, the cladding, and eventually a finished tobacco storage facility ready for December." Construction of this kind carries its own routine hazards and demands, from working at height on scaffolding to coordinating crane trucks and material deliveries in a live industrial yard.

The Arlington site reflects those everyday realities: workers in harnesses on elevated platforms, a crane truck bearing the Grid Transmission name parked alongside the rising structure, and building materials queued on the ground awaiting installation. Dust, uneven ground, and the constant movement of trucks and machinery all add to the logistical demands of a project of this size, requiring careful attention to sequencing and site safety throughout.

With several months of work still ahead before the December 2026 target, the Arlington site remains a working construction zone, its half-clad frame a visible marker of progress. For Grid Transmission, the project is one more entry in a long list of steel structures erected across the country, following the same basic method the company has relied on since 1974. Frame first, cladding after, and a finished building that, as Butler put it, reads as a single continuous structure regardless of how many stages it took to get there.

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GOODMARK CONSTRUCTION BUILDS STEADILY FROM RESIDENTIAL BEGINNINGS TO INDUSTRIAL SCALE Text by: Martin Chemhere Images and video by: CAST MEDIA GROUP Goodmark Engineering and Construction Pvt Limited, formed in April 2024 by Mr Innocent Machida and Mr Taurai Masutso, has grown from handling smaller residential and commercial jobs into delivering large-scale industrial and warehouse projects, with the company's current flagship development, a warehouse and mixed-use site at 571 Derbyshire, Waterfalls, offering a clear illustration of how far it has come in a relatively short space of time.

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The Derbyshire development is a long, two-storey face-brick building with a dark grey corrugated roof and a steel balcony walkway runs alongside a large flat-roofed warehouse section, the two joined at their roofline into a single complex enclosed by a brick perimeter wall.

Inside the warehouse, exposed steel trusses and purlins rise to a peaked roof fitted with skylights, while the floor, still bare earth and rubble scattered with rebar and timber offcuts, awaits its final finish.

Workers in high-visibility vests move through the space, and on the brick section's upper floor, others can be seen fitting timber window frames into red-brick openings beneath the exposed roof structure. In the yard, stacks of face brick, a black water tank, a shipping container and assorted vehicles mark an active construction site still very much in progress.

The company, based at the same Derbyshire address in Waterfalls, currently operates with a fully employed workforce rather than relying on part-time labour, a structure the directors say supports consistency and accountability across their sites.

Describing the company's trajectory since formation, the directors characterised its growth as moderate and steady, built project by project rather than through rapid expansion.

The Derbyshire warehouse development stands out both for its scale and for what it will offer once complete.

According to Goodmark, its significance lies in its location and in the capacity of the warehouse, which is expected to meet demand from a broad base of local businesses once operational.

The project is being delivered on a three-month construction timeline, a schedule the company says reflects its planning and site management capacity for developments of this size.

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On design, Goodmark said it does not follow a single fixed template, noting that its approach, including the combination of face brick and steel-frame roofing visible across the Derbyshire site, is adapted according to each client's preferences rather than applied as a uniform signature style. Materials and skilled labour, both persistent challenges within Zimbabwe's construction sector, have been managed through a combination of internal expertise and imported inputs.

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The company said it retains skilled personnel and sources quality material from abroad where local supply is insufficient, particularly for steel and specialised fabrication requirements. Site oversight on the Derbyshire project is handled through dedicated safety officers and quality controllers, with all relevant personnel in place across the site, the company said, as part of its broader project management approach on larger developments. The warehouse project has created employment for 48 people directly, with the company noting that developments of this scale also generate further indirect economic activity within the surrounding community, supporting local job creation and economic growth beyond the construction period itself.

Speaking on what sets the company apart in a competitive market, Mr Innocent Machida said, "Goodmark directors have been in industry for twenty years plus experience, and we produce quality, we deliver, we care, we respect." That depth of experience, he suggested, remains central to how the company positions itself against other firms competing for similar contracts in Harare and beyond.

On the question of resilience amid currency volatility, financing constraints and rising import costs, which have tested many players in Zimbabwe's construction sector, the directors kept their assessment simple, stating that the company continues to grow despite these pressures.

Looking to the next three to five years, Mr Taurai Masutso offered a similarly direct outlook: "We are aiming higher and delivering quality jobs." The statement, he indicated, reflects the company's broader ambition to take on larger developments and expand its footprint, building on the foundation laid by projects such as the Derbyshire warehouse as Goodmark works to establish itself further within Zimbabwe's industrial construction landscape.

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Property Consultant Flags Mid-2026 Groundbreaking for The Mall of Zimbabwe With groundbreaking now scheduled for mid-2026 and preparatory works already advancing, attention within the property sector is expected to remain firmly fixed on the project's progress in the coming months, as stakeholders watch to see whether the momentum highlighted by commentators such as Chihota translates into sustained delivery on the ground.

Excitement is building around The Mall of Zimbabwe, the country's first fully enclosed, air-conditioned regional shopping mall, after leading property consultant Kura Chihota flagged the development on social media under the hashtag #MoneyIsMoving, signalling growing momentum behind the long-anticipated project.

In his post, Chihota highlighted that groundbreaking on the mall has been scheduled for mid-2026, a milestone that comes after a year of active investor engagement, blueprint redesign, and lease structuring.

The commentary from a figure closely watched within Zimbabwe's property circles adds further weight to signals that the project, long discussed within investment and real estate circles, is now moving decisively from planning into execution.

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The Mall of Zimbabwe is being developed by McCormick Property Development Group, one of Southern Africa's most respected shopping centre developers, with a project value exceeding USD 100 million and a peak gross lettable area of 90,000 square metres. Beyond its scale, the development is positioned as a catalyst for broader economic growth, combining international and local retail brands with a food court and family-oriented leisure facilities, and is expected to generate over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs while stimulating downstream industries and attracting sustained foreign direct investment.

Throughout 2025, investor engagement around the project remained active, led by Exemplar, the JSE-listed South African partner spearheading lease structuring and blueprint redesign. The funding structure has been established at 35 percent WestProp, 35 percent MCB, and 30 percent potential investors, reflecting a collaborative approach to financing.

Strategic marketing efforts reinforced regional retail alignment, supported by ongoing negotiations with international partners covering construction, tenant mix, and design, with developers reporting significant investor confidence in the project's long-term value creation potential.

Chihota's use of the phrase "Money Is Moving" captures a sentiment increasingly echoed within Zimbabwe's investment community, where large-scale property developments of this nature are seen as barometers of broader economic confidence and capital inflow into the sector.

Property consultants and analysts have pointed to projects such as The Mall of Zimbabwe as evidence of renewed appetite for large-format retail investment in the country, despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges.

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RECOGNITION NIGHT: CROWNING EXCELLENCE AND FORGING THE FUTURE On 18 July 2026, the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) transformed into the epicenter of Zimbabwe’s construction renaissance as the prestigious Construction Industry Recognition Awards unfolded. With over 400 delegates gathered under one roof, the evening became a historic proclamation that Zimbabwe’s builders, engineers, architects, financiers and institutions shaping legacies and defining the nation’s future narrative.

The Guest of Honour, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Hon. Professor Paul Mavima, was joined by Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa.

Their presence underscored the strategic importance of the construction sector in driving national transformation and positioning Zimbabwe as a continental leader in infrastructure development.

The Recognition Night was conceived as a platform to honour organizations, institutions and professionals whose work has strengthened the construction sector through project delivery, infrastructure development, technical excellence, training, public service and sector support.

It sought to recognize outstanding organizations and professionals that promote quality workmanship, safety and compliance with required industry standards.

Celebrating Excellence Across the Spectrum The awards spanned across five grand categories, each illuminating a different pillar of the industry.

These include; 1.Core Industry Recognition: Honouring construction excellence through awards such as the Golden Trowel, Builder’s Crest, Solid Ground, 64

Skyline Crest and The Structural Seal.

The category focused on champions of reliability, landmark execution and quality compliance.

2.Professional and Technical Recognition: This Category celebrated the brilliance of engineers, architects, surveyors and project leaders.

Awards such as The Precision Edge, The Blueprint Crest, The Chain and Compass and The Project Anchor spotlighted professionals in the built environment. The Safety Shield honoured workplace safety leaders, while The Blueprint Pen saluted industry publications.

3.Partner and Affiliate Recognition: Focus was on acknowledging the ecosystem that sustains construction.

The Risk Guardian highlighted insurance partners, The Capital Pillar celebrated banking giants while The Supply Link honoured material suppliers . The Equipment Crest recognised machinery providers and The Green Build Mark spotlighted environmental responsibility champions .

4.Strategic and Institutional Recognition: The Recognition Night also honoured ministries, councils and public institutions driving infrastructure development in the country. The Nation Builder saluted government ministries, Civic Crest further recognised performing urban and rural district councils. The Public Honour acknowledged performing parastatal institutions. Universities and polytechnics were recognised under The Built Future Award and The Skills Forge award categories.

5.Special Recognition: Spotlighting emerging contractors, community contributors, lifetime achievers and women leaders.

The Rising Pillar celebrated firms who were among the organisations honoured under the Community Hand section.

The Industry Torch paid tribute to construction industry renowned individuals. Women in Built Leadership in Construction Award recognised female trailblazers who have contributed towards the transformation of the industry.

Every award presented was a beacon of ingenuity, professionalism and visionary leadership. Each award was anchored in rigorous evaluation against key performance indicators such as project completion, compliance with standards, safety records, innovation, leadership effectiveness and community impact.

In his keynote address, Minister Mavima urged stakeholders to complement Government’s infrastructure drive and embrace reforms such as the Contractors’ Bill.

His message was a clarion call for unity and innovation, urging the industry to elevate infrastructure delivery to international benchmark standards.

The event reaffirmed that construction is the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s modernization.

Contractors are the nation’s visionbearers, translating the National Development Strategy 2 target of 1 million houses by 2030 into a reality.

The evening unfolded with red carpet arrivals, sponsor acknowledgments, dinner service, entertainment and the grand award presentations. Each moment reinforced the central truth: construction is the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s modernization.

Indeed the 2026 Recognition Night crowned excellence, ignited strategic conversations and reaffirmed the construction sector’s strategic role as a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s transformation.

ZBCA 2026 AWARDS SCAN TO VIEW

WINNERS

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