Landmark Investment Deal Done: Dangote Set for Zimbabwe Return After Securing ZIA Licence 🥳
The economic landscape in Zimbabwe is officially heating up! Following weeks of speculation, it has been confirmed that Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote is set to return to Zimbabwe “in the next few weeks” to kickstart his highly anticipated multi-million dollar investments.
This pivotal visit follows the critical step of the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) granting licences for the Dangote Group’s projects, cementing the deal and dispelling rumors of cold feet.
The Deal is Sealed: Three Major Projects Licensed
The initial excitement following Dangote’s whirlwind one-day visit last month (September 2015), where he met President Robert Mugabe and other top officials, has now translated into tangible progress.
The ZIA confirmed that it has issued investment licences for not one, but three major projects that Dangote plans to pursue in the country:
- Cement: The core of the investment, starting with a projected $400 million cement factory.
- Mining
- Energy
ZIA chairman Nigel Chanakira confirmed the licences for these three critical sectors have been issued, paving the way for the groundwork to begin.
End of Speculation
Prior to this confirmation, reports had suggested that Africa’s richest man was cooling off on his Zimbabwe investment plans. However, ZIA chief executive officer Richard Mbaiwa firmly rebutted these claims, stating that such reports were based on events that happened before Dangote’s initial visit.
The current evidence shows full commitment:
- A company has been officially registered in the country.
- Local consultants and lawyers have been engaged.
- A technical team, including strategists and geologists, has already been in the country for consultations and has reported back to the billionaire.
- Crucially, the ZIA licence has been secured.
As Mr. Mbaiwa put it, Dangote “could not be doing that as a crude joke.”
The Next Step: A Quiet Return to Finalize Details
Sources close to the Dangote Group indicate that the Nigerian industrialist is heading back to Zimbabwe soon “to finalise the finer details” of the massive investment.
Interestingly, the next visit is expected to be low-key. After the massive public attention surrounding his initial arrival, Dangote reportedly prefers to avoid the fanfare. As one aide noted, he will come in “the same way he came without publicising things,” focused purely on execution.
This is a massive vote of confidence in Zimbabwe’s future and a strong signal to other foreign investors. With the bureaucratic steps cleared and the licences in hand, the focus now shifts entirely to implementation, promising a new era of job creation and industrial development.
