ZIMBABWE is accelerating its industrialisation drive through the local production of smart vehicle registration plates, with output rapidly expanding at the University of Zimbabwe–led National Transtech Solutions plant.
For years, the country depended heavily on imported number plates, a costly practice that strained foreign currency reserves.
That burden has eased significantly since the establishment of National Transtech Solutions, a consortium of eight tertiary institutions operating from the University of Zimbabwe.
The locally manufactured number plates integrate advanced smart technologies that assign each vehicle a unique digital identity.
Authorities say the innovation enhances national security, improves traffic management, and digitises previously manual systems, aligning with government’s broader push to modernise public services and strengthen the economy.
In an interview yesterday, National Transtech Solutions Plant supervisor Esther Guranungo said the facility produces plates for private, public and commercial vehicles, each equipped with multiple security layers.
“We make all kinds of number plates for private, public and commercial vehicles, in different colours,” she said.
“They carry security features such as a tamper-proof hologram embedded with a laser-engraved Zimbabwe Bird, as well as a unique QR code and secure number.
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“We have the capacity to produce about 13 000 plates a day, and so far, we have supplied almost 300 000 since the project began.”
Local production has significantly lowered the national import bill, saving millions in foreign currency while creating employment opportunities for young Zimbabweans.
University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor Paul Mapfumo said the consortium was born out of the country’s past challenges in securing number plates, prompting local institutions to innovate and provide lasting solutions.
“We established National Transtech Solutions Private Limited with other tertiary institutions, backed by our innovation hubs,” he said.
“The plant has the capacity to produce and expand, and can meet both national and regional requirements. We are able to produce about 30 plates per minute.
“The idea of the government is to have local institutions providing solutions for national challenges.”
As Zimbabwe transitions from the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to NDS2, initiatives like National Transtech Solutions highlight a renewed commitment to sustainable, home-grown industrial solutions, with research increasingly transformed into practical economic outputs.
