Chinese investments are playing a growing role in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and economic recovery, with Dinson Iron and Steel Company emerging as a flagship example of long-term, large-scale commitment, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding has said.
Addressing government officials and members of Parliament during a visit to Dinson’s steel plant outside Chivhu on Thursday, Ambassador Zhou said the company’s operations demonstrated how Zimbabwe–China cooperation was delivering tangible economic benefits through value addition, job creation and export growth.
The MPs were members of the Parliamentary Zimbabwe-China Friendship Association.
“For some time, I have wished to visit Chinese-invested enterprises in Zimbabwe alongside Members of Parliament, to better understand their operations—their focus on value addition, job creation, and local prosperity. I am very pleased that this has finally become a reality,” Ding said.
The ambassador said Dinson produces about 600,000 tonnes of steel annually, with roughly 60% exported to regional and international markets, generating foreign currency while supplying the domestic market. The company employs thousands of Zimbabweans and plans to expand into Africa’s largest integrated steel plant, a move expected to further strengthen Zimbabwe’s manufacturing base.
Zhou also highlighted Dinson’s social investments, including a US$6 million power grid, an US$8 million dual-lane road, borehole projects valued at US$50,000 and the renovation of seven schools costing US$200,000.
“These efforts reflect the true spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation and demonstrate that development must deliver tangible benefits to communities,” he said.
He said Chinese enterprises were significant contributors to Zimbabwe’s 6.6% economic growth recorded last year, noting that around 500 Chinese investors registered in the country in 2025 alone, with planned investments of nearly US$2.5 billion, more than a third of which are in manufacturing.
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The ambassador said China remained committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s development, following the elevation of bilateral relations to an All-Weather Community with a Shared Future agreed by the two countries’ leaders last year.
