After finding success in Zimbabwe, Bitumen World, one of the country’s largest civil engineering companies, is expanding into the region.
The company has over recent years won large private and public contracts, which have helped it build extra capacity. But, as government business thins out and payments slow down, the company is looking elsewhere for growth. CEO and founder Andre Zietsman says his firm is now looking beyond the borders, setting up the Inter-Africa Civils (IAC) group.
“Bitumen World started out as surfacing specialist contractor but has evolved into a fully-fledged civil engineering contractor,” Zietsman says. “This is where the team has honed its skills and gained a reputation in the local market which affords us much pride. The associated growth has led to the inevitable expansion into the greater Southern African region in pursuit of opportunity, thereby leading to the establishment of a holding company, IAC.”
Zietsman launched Bitumen World in 2012. Hamish Rudland became a shareholder in the business in 2019.
Bitumen is one of five Zimbabwean companies that were awarded contracts to refurbish the Harare-Beitbridge Highway. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, at a meeting with business leaders in October last year, said that decision had helped the companies to grow.
Other major recent projects that Bitumen World has taken part in include civil works in the Beitbridge Border Post upgrade, road repairs in Chimanimani after Cyclone Idai, and urban roads under government programmes. Recently, Bitumen was awarded a contract to upgrade the Beitbridge-Victoria Falls highway.
