Manhize’s Job Machine: What “2,000 Posts” Really Means for Zimbabwe’s Economy

Manhize steel complex (image source)

Manhize/Mvuma — Zimbabwe’s Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) project—the Chinese-backed Manhize steel complex—has begun translating concrete and capital into payrolls. Government officials and company executives say the plant has already generated “about 2,000” direct jobs in its early operating phase, with headcount set to expand as rolling capacity and downstream products come online. The number has quickly become political shorthand—but what does it really mean?

First, some context: DISCO, part of Tsingshan Holding Group, started pig iron production in mid-2024 and moved into steel bar production in February 2025, with first-phase targets of 600,000 tons per year. Reuters reported last week that Tsingshan plans an additional $800 million to lift capacity toward 1.2 million tons, while building out power and auxiliary plants—signals that this is a multi-year industrial ecosystem, not a single furnace.

On jobs, multiple outlets—including the state-aligned Chronicle (July 2024) and independent publications in 2025—cite figures “around 2,000” for current headcount. Ministers recently touted “over 2,000 locals” at the site. While exact payrolls fluctuate with commissioning cycles, the directional story holds: a large employer is forming in a corridor that badly needs one. Longer-run projections—up to ~10,000 direct jobs at full build-out—should be treated as aspirational until capital for later phases is committed.

What kinds of jobs are being created? Early waves skew to civil, mechanical, and electrical technicians; refractory and furnace crews; crane and rolling-mill operators; lab quality assurance staff; safety officers; and logistics/haulage personnel. The multiplier is real: every direct job supports others in mining (limestone, coal, iron ore), rail, road freight, catering, PPE supply, and accommodation. Local SMEs in Mvuma and Chirumanzu report rising demand for rentals, retail, and repairs.

But job quality matters as much as quantity. Labor advocates warn that fixation on headline numbers can mask issues around wages, shifts, safety, and worker voice. The Zimbabwean editorial board recently challenged the “2,000 jobs” claim to meet a “decent work” test—fair pay, protective gear, medical cover, and grievance channels—so the project uplifts households, not just statistics. Management insists it is investing in safety and skills, but the truth will be found in incident logs, wage slips, and staff retention over time.

The policy implications are straightforward. To maximize national benefit, government should: (1) prioritize reliable power to the complex while accelerating the plant’s own generation to reduce grid strain; (2) fast-track rail rehabilitation to shift bulk inputs off roads; (3) enforce environmental and safety standards uniformly to avoid a “race to the bottom”; and (4) link apprenticeships to local colleges so Zimbabweans capture more skilled roles as phases expand. For financiers, the project’s de-risking hinges on power stability, ore logistics, and regional demand—steel bars for housing and roads, coils and wire for manufacturing.

Bottom line: “Close to 2,000 jobs” is more than a talking point—it’s a sign that one of the region’s most ambitious industrial bets is moving from promise to paychecks. The task now is to keep scaling—safely, cleanly, and with Zimbabwean workers at the center—so that Manhize becomes not only an output story, but a livelihoods story too.