A wave of Chinese-backed construction projects scattered across Harare has drawn renewed public attention this week, after a social media post cataloguing a string of developments — from a casino on Fifth Avenue to a hotel complex near Borrowdale — went viral, reigniting conversation about the scale and visibility of Chinese investment in the capital’s built environment.
The post, shared by X user @matigary, listed a series of ongoing or completed projects reportedly linked to Chinese investors: a casino under construction on Fifth Avenue, the Ocean Hotel on the edges of Tomlinson Depot, a new Chinese company headquarters at Pomona Shopping Centre, mining firm Sinomine’s completed head office in Belgravia, a hotel-and-retail development along Glenara Road near Mzaya’s offices, and a hotel, office complex and supermarket reportedly under construction in the Borrowdale vlei near projects associated with WestProp Holdings founder Ken Sharpe. The author’s central observation — that Chinese investors in Zimbabwe are “not just extracting, they are investing and building everywhere” — struck a chord with many online commentators, prompting hundreds of reactions and reshares.
China has consistently ranked among Zimbabwe’s largest sources of foreign direct investment, with state and private Chinese capital flowing into sectors ranging from mining and energy to hospitality, retail and real estate. Harare’s northern suburbs, including Borrowdale and Pomona, have in particular emerged as hotspots for large-scale mixed-use development, with local firms such as WestProp Holdings also driving a construction boom in the same corridors.
Government officials have repeatedly framed the influx of Chinese capital as evidence of Zimbabwe’s improving investment climate under its “Zimbabwe is open for business” positioning, pointing to job creation, infrastructure upgrades and technology transfer as key benefits. Officials from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency have previously noted that China remains the country’s single biggest source of new investors, even as other nations have increased their footprint in recent years.
Still, the visibility of Chinese-built hotels, offices, and retail centres springing up across Harare has fuelled a broader public debate about the nature of foreign investment in the country — with some observers welcoming the tangible infrastructure and construction activity as a sign of confidence in Zimbabwe’s economy, while others have raised questions about transparency, local participation, and the long-term ownership structures behind such projects.
Image: @matigary
