Zimbabwe Seeks Tajikistan’s Expertise to Develop Aluminium Production Industry

Zimbabwe's Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, announced plans to leverage Tajikistani expertise to establish a local aluminium production industry. During his visit to Tajikistan, Chiwenga commended the central Asian country's rapid development of its aluminium sector, The Sunday Mail reported on June 16.

Chiwenga toured the Tajik Aluminium Company (TALCO), which boasts an annual production capacity exceeding 500,000 tonnes. He expressed Zimbabwe's interest in collaborating with Tajikistan to enhance its aluminium production capabilities as the nation transitions from copper to aluminium cables.

“We would want to see how we can cooperate in aluminium production, as we are migrating from copper cables to aluminium, and these huge production figures are what we would want to see,” Chiwenga said, according to ZBC on June 16. He emphasized the potential for partnership and knowledge exchange between the two countries, highlighting the evolution of TALCO's operations since 1975 as a model for Zimbabwe.

Aluminium is critical in various industries, including aerospace engineering, food packaging, household appliances, and electrical conductors, where it is increasingly replacing copper due to its lower susceptibility to theft. Zimbabwe is already shifting from copper to aluminium conductors in response to the theft of the more valuable metal.

Chiwenga invited Tajikistani companies to partner with local Zimbabwean firms, underscoring the mutual benefits of such cooperation. "They will be in touch with our people back home who are doing the cables. We are inviting them to partner with local companies; we are in the same group of countries with them and we would like to share whatever we can tap from their expertise and whatever experiences they can also get from us," he added.

This initiative aligns with Zimbabwe's broader strategy to enhance its industrial capabilities and reduce dependency on imported materials.