HARARE acting town clerk Warren Chiwawa yesterday told investors that the capital is opening its US$4,29 billion infrastructure pipeline for the 2026 to 2030 period.
Speaking at the Harare Investment Dialogue 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel after mayor Jacob Mafume set the political tone, Chiwawa said council was pitching six strategic sectors where private capital, blended finance and institutional expertise could merge with the city’s municipal assets.
“Today represents a paradigm shift for our capital city,” Chiwawa told financiers, development finance institutions and corporate leaders.
“For the first time in our modern history, Harare is systematically presenting its vast economic potential to the investment world, backed by unwavering political will.
“We are not here to ask for philanthropic interventions. We are here to present structured, bankable opportunities.”
Chiwawa stressed that collaboration would be key to delivering the city’s future.
He said the city could not do it alone and would need all stakeholders “to help build the Harare they want”.
“Capital is discerning, it flows where it is welcomed, but stays where it is protected, structured, and given room to yield predictable returns,” Chiwawa said.
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The council’s mandate now is to ensure investors find a workable environment in the capital.
Chiwawa unpacked opportunities across six priority sectors, saying the foundation of any metropolitan economy was reliable sanitation.
He said Harare was seeking partners to finance water and waste infrastructure in the southern incorporated areas and other unserviced settlements, plus the deployment of modern wastewater treatment technologies.
He added that Harare, as the hub of regional trade corridors, required massive investment in urban mobility.
The portfolio includes modernising inner-city road networks, constructing strategic flyovers and developing integrated multi-modal transport interchanges.
Council is also seeking private partners for state-of-the-art smart traffic management systems and mechanised mass transit networks through build-operate-transfer arrangements.
On energy, Chiwawa noted Harare could not rely solely on the national grid and should decentralise and green its power matrix.
“Council is opening the sector to independent power producers for commercial-scale rooftop solar on municipal buildings and industrial solar parks.
“Investors will be offered stable, long-term frameworks to feed clean energy directly into municipal and national grids.”
He said the recently updated Harare Master Plan legally anchors the vision for real estate and urban regeneration.
For healthcare infrastructure, Chiwawa said council owns a wide network of polyclinics and primary hospitals and is seeking strategic public-private partnerships to upgrade facilities, build specialised diagnostic laboratories and establish advanced maternal and tertiary care centres.
The model aims to monetise specialised healthcare delivery while retaining social impact.
On industrial development, he said Harare remains Zimbabwe’s primary logistics hub.
“Council is offering specific investment zones earmarked for Special Economic Zones and modern agro-processing or light-industrial parks.
“Investors will benefit from incentives, streamlined planning approvals, and direct access to Sadc markets.
Chiwawa said the US$4,29 billion pipeline is “not just a wishlist, (but) a thoroughly analysed necessity for a city growing at our current trajectory”.
“As the head of administration for council, my promise to you is administrative efficiency, absolute transparency, and commercial agility,” he said.
“Our Business Development Unit has been fully capacitated and stands ready during the networking lunch to give you project insights and terms of reference.
“I look forward to signing landmark agreements with you after this dialogue.”
