In a move that could see Zimbabwe designing and manufacturing its own car model, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Harare earlier this week between the Zimbabwean government and Italian firm El Badaoui Grou.
The plan forms part of the government's focus on value addition and beneficiation, which is expected to turn the country into a regional giant in the export of finished products, reports AllAfrica, noting that Zimbabwe aims to export the car to other African countries.
Speaking at the MoU press conference, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha told delegates: "Mr El Badaoui visited Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to assess the infrastructure currently in place. We are still working on the logistics of where the plant will be located and which institutions will be involved. Our thrust was to first come up with a framework, a process we have already done.
"This will get the ball rolling. We are looking at which institutions will be involved in creating this prototype. It is expected that the implementation of the MoU will assist in the rejuvenation of the manufacturing sector as well as expand the range of exported products to the region and beyond."
