Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
CAROUSEL, the manufacturing division of Edgars Group has invested close to US$1 million for its retooling initiative that has seen a remarkable surge in daily production from less than 200 units over the past few years to an impressive 2 500 units.
That has translated to approximately 60 000 units per month. The company, which supplies products to Edgars and Jet, has invested close to US$1 million in a retooling programme to enhance capacity, efficiency and product quality with a view to supply the new low-end market Express chain set to be re-introduced soon.
Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti led a delegation from the Office of the President and Cabinet on Thursday and visited the manufacturing company in Bulawayo where it revealed its ambitious goal to achieve its 1999 production levels of 100 000 units per month.
With the planned acquisition of additional machinery, Carousel managing director, Mr Manfree Tanyanyiwa said they are confident of reaching that target.
“We have been interacting with customers in the retail sector for the last eight or so years and recently we went on a very aggressive and chilling exercise aimed at increasing capacity, improving efficiency, improving the quality of our product and that exercise is still ongoing,” he said.
Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti inspects garments during a visit to Carousel factory on Thursday. Assisting him is Carousel managing director, Mr Manfree Tanyanyiwa (right)
Mr Tanyanyiwa said they have invested close to US$1 million and still have a few more pieces of machines that they want to acquire.
“We are hoping that in the first half of the year, funds permitting, we will be able to source more machinery. We are currently pursuing the other business facility and hoping that we can use a bit of those funds to acquire the last piece of machinery that we may need. On production, we are currently doing around 2 500 units a day now against less than 200 units a day that we used to do a couple of years ago. So that has been a big move upwards.
“The 2 500 units a day if you were to say in a month, that will probably take you to about 60 000 units a month. So that is the capacity we have currently gotten installed. Our aim and our big objective is to get back to our 1999 levels when we used to do around 100 000 units a month. So I think we are well on our way to achieving those targets,” he said.
He said the increase in production has seen them increasing their employment portfolio with the factory having 700 workers up from 30 at some point.
“The bulk of these employees, 60 percent of those are women and 40 percent are men. We think we should work well for the quality of the clothing industry because most of the employees are women. They have better attention to detail,” he said.
Eng Muguti said the growth in the manufacturing sector is a testament that Government policies are working.
“What we have seen here today is mind-blowing. Edgars is now running with Express Stores back. Apart from that, Edgars is also back and strong, and we are seeing that a number of outfits are being made here.
“I think what has encouraged us as Government the most is that with 3 000 outfits being made a day, just from one factory, it shows that the manufacturing capacity for Zimbabwe is indeed growing back to its feet,” he said.
Eng Muguti added: “Now, for us, this is an industry which has been hampered by second-hand clothing, and we are saying as Government we have banned bales. We will burn second-hand clothing, and my office has directed that all provinces confiscate second-hand clothing immediately.”
Carousel is the manufacturing division of Edgars group comprising Edgars the chain, Jets the chain, and the new Express chain targeting products for the lower end of the market. @nyeve14
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