Bata in production uptick
LEADING manufacturing and retail shoe company, Bata, has invested US$5 million in modern technologies to augment its production output and close the gap between an increased local demand and its production capacity amid revelations that it has so far increased production by 10 percent.
During the previous years, Bata imported 10 percent to 15 percent of shoes from its sister companies around the globe to complement Gweru Bata plant production. In the first quarter of this year, the biggest shoe company managed to increase its production by 10 percent from 85 percent putting its production capacity at 95 percent. This also leaves a gap of 5 percent between local demand and production capacity.
In an interview, Bata managing director Mr Simon Mtisya said the company was investing heavily in new technologies and modern machinery in order to close the gap between local demand and Gweru plant production capacity.
“Bata considers investing in new technologies and modernising its production machinery in order to close the gap between Gweru plant production and demand. We used to import about 10 to 15 percent of shoes from our sister companies but due import cost and the rising demand we considered upgrading the Gweru plant. We invested heavily in terms of new machinery, modernising the equipment that we have, and the skills to make sure that Bata Zimbabwe will be able to sustain its requirements from the Gweru plant. The company managed to increase shoe production by 10 percent and now 95 percent of the shoes in our retail shops are produced locally,” he said.
This year Bata invested more than US$5 million in machinery which includes a polyurethane pouring plant which produces safety shoes that the company has been exporting in the past years. The company has also acquired a mostardini for leather platting and sammying machine for the processing of wet blue hides. Mr Mtisya said the strategy was also working towards building the country in terms of employment as well as supporting the shoe production value chain.
“The strategy has been working well and it gives us the opportunity to build our country by partnering and strengthening our participation in the local value chain. We source 100 percent of our textile requirements for our canvarce shoes from local companies. Our new initiatives are also working in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) launched by President Mnangagwa. We are buying 100 percent of all our raw hide requirements here in Zimbabwe, so it is an initiative which is going to help the country and also saves the country foreign currency,” he said.
Mr Mtisya admitted that the company has been affected heavily by Covid-19 and inflation which also affected customers’ buying power. He highlighted that they implemented the buy Zimbabwe build Zimbabwe strategy where they approach organisations to consider buying from their company.
“Covid-19 and imported inflation affected our volumes and it also affected household income not only here in Zimbabwe but across the globe. One of the approaches is to persuade institutions including Government to consider and start buying from Bata and other local manufacturers. We hope to get takers from these initiatives meant to increase our volumes and boost levels of employment and capacity utilisation. I want to urge everyone to embrace the Buy Zimbabwe Build Zimbabwe not only for shoes but for all products produced in Zimbabwe and this is the surest way of creating employment and improving livelihoods. So, our call to industries is to buy locally before considering importing,” he said.