industrial profile
VAKA CONCRETE
Leaders In The Supply Of Bricks, Blocks And Pavers For The Construction Industry text: Michael Nott | photos: Structure and Design
DND &RQFUHWH FRPPLVVLRQHG WKHLU ÀUVW PDQXIDFWXULQJ SODQW LQ 2012, conveniently situated at 1284 Delport Road, Sunway City Industrial Park, in the eastern part of Harare. Their second branch was opened in 2014 at Number 8321 Zambezi Industrial Park, in Gweru in order to serve the central region of the country. In the relatively short time that they’ve been operational they’ve rapidly grown to become one of the biggest manufacturers of concrete bricks and pavers in the country. The Harare branch has the capacity to manufacture 120,000 bricks in a single 9-hour shift, while the slightly smaller Gweru branch can produce around 20,000 bricks in a single shift. The Chairman of Vaka Concrete is Joseph Mutizwa with Daud Taranhike serving as Deputy Chairman and Nyasha Zhou as Non-Executive Director. Operations Manager Marshall Gwandira, Energy Mapanda as Production Manager and Accountant Arnold Mayara oversee the day-to-day running of the business. Although the sophisticated, automated system is less labour intensive than traditional brick making methods during peak production periods the Harare branch creates employment for around 50 locals while the Gweru branch employs around 20 people. Staff receive on the job skills training and Vaka has an excellent record for staff Health and Safety. One of the reasons for their huge manufacturing capacity is that they made a substantial capital investment in the most up to date technology and plant equipment from South African based company Birkenmayer, as well as Eirich industrial mixers. Both of these brands are recognised around the world as the leading suppliers of superior brick making equipment – built to last with German precision. 68
STRUCTURE & DESIGN
