Almot Maqolo, Staff Writer 
BRICKMAKER, Willdale, says it is receiving orders from clients as far as Mozambique and Zambia and is now working on improving production capacity to meet the growing demand for its products.
Export initiatives remain central to the company’s long-term goals driven by the need to generate additional foreign currency to meet its growth prospects.
Willdale chief executive Nyasha Matonda says there have been noteworthy inquiries from clients arriving from the neighbouring country of Mozambique.
“Close countries are obviously Mozambique and Zambia for now, that’s where we have already started although it’s not Willdale going directly, we have customers who are coming from Mozambique to buy our products for developments in Mozambique. So, in a way, we are already exporting indirectly,”
The brickmaker expects to pocket US$16,6 million before costs from the sale of unutilized pieces of land, with proceeds to be channelled towards increasing capacity and subsequently profitability.
“At the moment, plus or minus five percent is going to Mozambique, the face brick, not the entire brand,” he said. The company’s product mix comprises 50 percent common bricks and the other 50 percent includes face bricks and other brick lines.
“Now that we are getting into the peak period, we are looking at 11 to 12 million bricks, but it also depends on the availability of power,” Matonda said.
In February this year, Willdale announced that production for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, declined by 16 percent due to severe electricity load shedding.
The brickmaker expects to pocket US$16,6 million before costs from the sale of unutilized pieces of land, with proceeds to be channelled towards increasing capacity and subsequently profitability. This follows approval from shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting held recently to allow for the proposed resolutions to unlock value from unused pieces of land.
The brickmaker intends to purchase a new US$3 million machine that is all-weather friendly. The current one dries bricks in the sun, meaning it must shut down for three months every year, during the peak rainy season from December to February. Willdale’s inflation-adjusted revenue rose 91 percent for the six months covering October 2023 to March 2024, despite the challenging operating environment.
The company’s operations have continued to be impacted by high inflation and shortages of electricity. The local brick manufacturing industry is benefiting from the ongoing construction boom after recording a surge in demand driven by the government’s infrastructure and national housing projects. newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw
