KEY POINTS
- Econet plans a 300-hectare industrial park near Harare airport.
- The project includes a data centre and solar power plant.
- InfraCo may be listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange.
Econet InfraCo, the infrastructure unit being separated from Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, plans to develop a 300-hectare industrial park near Robert Mugabe International Airport. The project will also include a large data centre, as the company bets on reliable power and connectivity to attract manufacturers and exporters.
The development is expected to feature a 100-megawatt solar power plant. Econet said the facility will supply electricity as the project scales. The company is positioning the park as a private-sector response to long-standing infrastructure gaps that have slowed industrial growth in Zimbabwe.
Douglas Mboweni, chief executive of Econet Group, said the site is designed as a logistics and industrial hub. Its location near the airport is aimed at businesses that depend on fast cargo movement. These include light manufacturers and firms processing goods for export.
Econet industrial park targets logistics
Mboweni said Econet InfraCo plans to provide basic services such as power and water directly to tenants. The goal is to reduce the upfront burden for companies moving into the site. He said investors should be able to begin operations without first building essential utilities.
Construction on the first phase has already started, according to Mboweni. He said the solar power plant will be deployed in stages, based on tenant demand. The project still requires full development approvals.
Once approvals are secured, Econet expects the park to rank among Zimbabwe’s largest private developments since independence. The company has not released cost estimates or a construction timeline.
Mboweni said the project is one of several initiatives approved by Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa. He added that the company expects to engage government authorities more formally as planning progresses.
Industrial park anchors InfraCo
According to Billionaire Africa, Econet introduced InfraCo publicly in December as part of a restructuring that separates passive infrastructure from its mobile network operations. The group said InfraCo is not a new business but a long-standing unit that manages towers, fibre networks, power systems and data facilities that support Econet’s services.
In a cautionary statement, Econet said it plans to list InfraCo on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The VFEX operates as a U.S. dollar-denominated exchange aimed at attracting foreign capital.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe remains the country’s largest mobile network operator, with interests spanning broadband and financial services. Through the airport-adjacent park, the group is seeking to bundle renewable energy, data capacity and serviced industrial land into a single offering it hopes will compete for regional manufacturing and logistics tenants.
