Source: David Whitehead revival goes a gear up – herald
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
TEXTILE giant David Whitehead Textiles Limited is steadily regaining its position as a major player in the country’s industrial landscape, producing about two million metres of fabric per month and resuming exports to regional markets.
The firm’s revival marks a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s drive to rebuild its manufacturing base and restore the once-vibrant textile value chain — from cotton farming to finished garments — under the Government’s industrialisation and import substitution strategy.
This progress was revealed during a tour of the Kadoma-based plant by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce over the weekend as part of its oversight visits to monitor resurgent industries.
The committee also toured David Whitehead’s spinning and weaving factory in Chegutu.
ETG Group chief operations manager Mr Rodreck Musiyiwa, whose company is spearheading DWTL’s revitalisation, said production had ramped up significantly, with exports of cotton yarn already underway.
“We are happy that we can now produce as much as two million metres of fabric a month,” he said.
“It’s a considerable amount of fabric going into the market, and we’ve just started exporting. We are currently sending part of our yarn to Botswana.”
Cotton yarn — spun from the soft, absorbent fibres of the cotton plant — is prized for its durability, breathability and versatility, making it suitable for products such as clothing, towels and home furnishings.
Mr Musiyiwa said the revival of David Whitehead was not only bringing back local textile manufacturing but also driving import substitution and job creation.
“The textile industry had collapsed, and we want it to be alive again. David Whitehead is one of the many industries we must bring back,” he said.
“We are now a fully integrated company — from supporting cotton farmers in the field to producing finished fabric — and we’re employing a significant number of people, contributing to community upliftment.”
Industry and Commerce Committee chairperson Clemence Chiduwa said the progress at David Whitehead reflected President Mnangagwa’s vision of industrialisation, empowerment, and value chain development.
“This is a ticket for empowerment — where incomes go directly to people’s pockets.
“If we promote the cotton value chain, we create jobs, boost exports, and build resilience.
“What we are witnessing here is massive investment aligned with the country’s industrialisation agenda, and as a Committee, we fully support it.”
He said the Committee would continue monitoring developments across the textile and cotton industries to inform policy recommendations that sustain growth in the sector.
The revival of David Whitehead Textiles has been made possible through a US$20 million investment by Agro-Value Chain Zimbabwe (AVCZ), a local agricultural consortium.
The company has procured state-of-the-art textile manufacturing equipment to restore the factory’s operations to full capacity.
AVCZ is a subsidiary of the Indian-owned ETG Parrogate Group, which has significant investments across Zimbabwe and other African countries.
The parliamentary delegation also visited the Dendairy plant in Kwekwe as part of its broader assessment of industrial recovery and value addition initiatives across the Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces.
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