Source: Bronzepels, begins LPG cylinder making – herald
Michael Tome
Business Reporter
LOCAL firm, Bronzepels Investments, has started commercial production of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders at its newly established US$9,3 million plant in Mt Hampden, marking a huge milestone in Zimbabwe’s emerging industrial manufacturing base and positioning the company as a significant player in the domestic and regional market.
The investment aligns with the Government’s industrialisation vision and efforts to boost domestic manufacturing and attract investments into key sectors.
Bronzepels plans to direct between 95 and 97 percent of its production into the export market to generate critical foreign currency and help cut Zimbabwe’s significant import bill for LPG cylinders.
“We look forward to exporting the bulk of our production as we target the SADC region. This will generate much-needed foreign currency and save the country’s import bill because these products are now manufactured locally,” said Bronzepels director Joyce Chirongoma in an interview.
She added that the company’s gas cylinders have met stringent safety and quality standards following rigorous assessments by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, while approvals have also been secured from the SADC and COMESA regulatory authorities.
The company is now seeking International Standards Organisation certification.
Broncepels expects its export-oriented model to help integrate Zimbabwe firmly into regional value chains while supporting industrial growth under Vision 2030.
In a development expected to give impetus to Bronzepel’s aspirations, Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube announced in his 2026 National Budget Statement last week a proposal to remove customs duty on selected raw material inputs to reduce production costs for gas cylinders.
“In order to reduce the cost of producing gas cylinders, thereby stimulating local production, levelling the playing field between imported and locally manufactured products, I propose to remove customs duty on imported raw materials,” said Minister Ncube.
Bronzepels produced its first batch of LPG cylinders in September 2025, three and a half years after acquiring 6 000 square metres of land for the project in Mt Hampden.
The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) facilitated the investment through various relevant regulatory approvals.
The firm currently runs a single shift with capacity to produce up to three million LPG cylinders annually, which management says can be tripled if the plant transitions to three shifts per day.
Bronzepels was incorporated in June 2021 and moved swiftly to start plant construction after securing its investment licence from ZIDA in January 2022.
The company produces LPG cylinders with varying holding capacities ranging from 3kg to 48kg.
Bronzepels Investments commended ZIDA for its professionalism and hands-on support in facilitating the company’s entry into the local market, saying the agency played a critical role in helping it navigate regulatory processes and establish operations faster than anticipated.
The company, which has set up operations in Zimbabwe as part of its broader Southern Africa expansion plans, said ZIDA’s efficiency and knowledge of the investment landscape provided the much-needed confidence at a time when bureaucratic hurdles from other departments had threatened to derail the project.
“As an international company exploring opportunities in Southern Africa for the first time, navigating regulatory requirements was one of our greatest concerns. From the moment we engaged with ZIDA, those concerns quickly disappeared.”
The company said ZIDA offered clear guidance, timely communication and comprehensive support throughout the investment process from company registration and licensing to sector-specific compliance and connecting the investor with relevant local partners.
“What could have been a complex and time-consuming process became efficient, transparent and remarkably smooth. The agency’s intervention restored confidence at a time when the investor was even giving up on the business.”
Bronzepels noted that its setup in Zimbabwe progressed much faster than projected, enabling the firm to shift focus towards operational expansion and capital deployment in the local economy.
The company now employs more than 80 workers and plans to expand its workforce.
ZIDA has in recent years intensified efforts to streamline investment processes as part of national reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and accelerating industrial growth under Vision 2030.
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