After a break of more than five years, Willowvale Motor Industries will recommence vehicle assembly in August as the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) subsidiary gets back to what it does best, the govt publication, the Herald reports saying.
Pickup vehicles with a double or single cab will be the first to be assembled once again.
In 2017, the business that had previously been affiliated with and partially controlled by Mazda stopped assembling cars.
Through its affiliated businesses and divisions, it is still involved in the automotive sector. Willowvale is looking to expand the selection of components produced in Zimbabwe with the restart of assembly work and is probably going to profit from high-quality finished steel from the Manhize steel works.
The promise was made during a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee’s visit to Deven Engineering and Willowvale Motor Industries in Harare last week. WMI acting managing director, Mr Dzi Matanhire, said the assembly of pick-up trucks would resume in August this year.
“Our mandate is local production and supply of vehicular products and equipment and to be the leading supplier of mobility solutions in Africa and beyond,” he said.
“Willowvale Motor Industries is a customer-centric manufacturer and supplier of sustainable mobility solutions. The company is solvent financially and currently we are selling Mahindra products. We approached the company with a view to establishing a plant in Zimbabwe. We are also selling Mazda products.”
Mr Matanhire said Willowvale Motor Industries also contributes to the production of buses in collaboration with Deven Engineering.
A section of the iron and steel plant under construction in Manhize area, Midlands Province
“We are working on acquiring at least three competitive and reputable vehicle brands for knocked-down kits to assemble. Agricultural equipment will also be considered. We will mobilise funding for retooling and equipment upgrades of our factory.
“Our key challenges are foreign currency, retail credit, wholesale finance, working capital, retooling, and public sector procurement support. Willowvale Motor Industries had a problem 10 years ago but it is now solvent and a profitable organisation,” he said.
IDCZ General Manager Mr Edward Tome said they wanted to start assembling vehicles at WMI that could be afforded by Zimbabweans.
“We also have got a plan and we are working in collaboration with Harare Institute of Technology and other universities across the country to start manufacturing local components that we can use in assembling vehicles in order to bring down the cost of production and ultimately the retail price to the people of Zimbabwe.
“Starting in the third quarter of this year we will be assembling double and single cab trucks that will be very affordable to the people of Zimbabwe.