The City of Kings and Queens celebrated a major infrastructure milestone on 28 May, following a high-profile diplomatic visit that promises to transform the local informal economy. The City of Bulawayo hosted His Excellency Mr. Stephane Rey, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, for a comprehensive site tour of the Highlanders Market Site to inspect the city’s newly funded urban development initiatives.
Guided by Bulawayo’s Business Development Officer, Gezekile Mkwebu, a delegation witnessed firsthand the incredible internal organization of local informal traders, alongside the pressing infrastructural gaps they encounter daily. The informal sector serves as the beating heart of Bulawayo’s economy, accounting for 58% of total city employment and sustaining nearly 50,000 families. At the Highlanders site alone, 64% of the vendors are hardworking women trading with minimal savings. Until now, these traders have remained vulnerable to harsh weather threats, scorching October heat, heavy rains, and highly limited sanitation.
Confronting these challenges directly, the City of Bulawayo is officially launching Phase 1 of a massive market revitalization project made possible by a generous USD $200,000 grant from the Swiss Embassy. Phase 1 infrastructure construction will introduce a modern, protective roof shed over the first portion of the market, strategically starting at the corner of Masotsha Ndlovu & Fife Street along Airport Road to uplift the city’s tourism aesthetic. The design includes smooth concrete floors for seamless cleaning, clearly marked bays, and upgraded, gender-sensitive sanitation facilities. Long-term modernizations will also integrate solar-powered lighting and public Wi-Fi.
Reflecting on the infrastructure upgrades, Mayor David Coltart remarked that the city’s long-term goal is to see the entire area covered so that people are fully protected from the elements. Ambassador Stephane Rey further emphasized that the project is fundamentally about restoring human dignity and recognizing the extraordinary resilience of the city, noting that its true success will be measured by the lives it improves rather than just the structures built.
In a massive announcement, Ambassador Rey revealed that Switzerland intends to provide an additional $8 million USD toward nationwide urban resilience interventions in the coming years, with Bulawayo slated to benefit directly. Hon. J. Ncube commended the high level of diplomatic trust that brought this grant to fruition, highlighting how the project aligns perfectly with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy (NDS2) and the rollout of Integrated Provincial Economic Zones (IPSEZ). This national framework leverages Bulawayo’s core regional strengths in agro-processing, tourism, renewable energy, and diamond processing while encouraging informal traders to regularize and register as part of a progressive formalization journey.
