A new cooking-oil plant in Bulawayo is about 85% complete. Its owner, Fats and Feeds, says it aims to start producing soya cooking oil in December and to employ between 300 and 400 people directly once the factory is running.

Information Minister Dr Zhemu Soda toured the site last week with journalists as part of a visit to industrial projects in the city. NewsDay, The Herald, 263Chat and other outlets reported the visit. All of the figures come from that one tour, from the minister and from the company's own managers, so the December start and the job numbers are company targets, not results.

What is being built

The plant will process soya beans into cooking oil, with grain storage, oil extraction, refining and bottling on one site. A company manager told reporters that about 65% of the machinery had been delivered and that the rest would arrive as work moves towards commissioning.

According to 263Chat, the site includes storage tanks of about 250,000 litres each and grain silos that hold about 5,000 tonnes apiece. Solar panels are going onto the roofs, and a separate solar installation is being developed next to the factory. Reliable power matters to any manufacturer in Zimbabwe, so that solar capacity could help keep production running.

The Herald reported that the investment is being made by Zimgold, the parent company.

Jobs, now and later

Reporters counted 276 people working on site during the visit, and the company says they are mostly local. The building contractor is a young Bulawayo-born businessman. "Once the facility becomes operational, we expect to employ between 300 and 400 people directly at this site," the manager told ZimCitizenNews. He added that the final number would depend on how much the plant produces.

The company also expects work to flow to transport operators, mechanics, caterers and other small businesses around the site.

Imports now, local farmers later

For now the plant relies on imported raw material. "At present, the company is importing some of these inputs due to limited local availability," Dr Soda said, according to ZimCitizenNews. He said the plan is to link the factory to outgrower schemes so that local farmers can grow soya and sunflower for it. If that happens, it would create a new market for oilseed growers in the region.

The minister also said any surplus oil should be sold beyond Zimbabwe's borders. "We must also position local producers to access and compete in markets beyond Zimbabwe," he said, as quoted by ZimCitizenNews.

Why it matters

Bulawayo was once the country's industrial heartland, and many of its factories closed over the past two decades. The Herald reports that new investment in the city's manufacturing sector has passed US$100 million over the past two years and that capacity utilisation has risen to 51.2%. A plant of this size would be a visible addition.

For families at home, and for those in the diaspora who send money for groceries, more cooking oil made locally could eventually mean less dependence on imported oil. Those benefits depend on two things that have not happened yet: the plant starting on time and local farmers supplying it. We will report on whether the December start happens.

Graphic: Zimbo Grapevine / Tafuma Web Studio.

Sources: 263Chat, "Bulawayo oil plant nears completion, set to create 400 jobs", 2 Nov 2026: https://www.263chat.com/bulawayo-oil-plant-nears-completion-set-to-create-400-jobs/ · ZimCitizenNews, "Fats & Feeds plant nears completion...", Nov 2026: https://www.zimcitizennews.com/fats-feeds-plant-nears-completion-as-gvnts-industrialisation-devolution-agenda-gains-momentum/ · Zimba News, "New Bulawayo plant to cut cooking oil imports", Nov 2026: https://zimbanews.co.zw/new-bulawayo-plant-to-cut-cooking-oil-imports/ · The Herald/Chronicle, "Bulawayo industrial projects signal progress in re-industrialisation drive", 31 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/bulawayo-industrial-projects-signal-progress-in-re-industrialisation-drive/ · NewsDay, "Bulawayo cooking oil plant 85% complete", 3 Nov 2026: https://newsday.co.zw/article/bulawayo-cooking-oil-plant-85-complete

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