Expanding Chirwa Metal Works to Serve More Local Builders

My name is Kelvin Chirwa, and I am the founder of Chirwa Metal Works, a small metal fabrication business operating in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I grew up watching my uncle repair farm equipment and manufacture simple metal gates in his backyard workshop. I was fascinated by how sheets of steel, lengths of tubing, and discarded pieces of metal could be transformed into something useful. After finishing school, I trained as a metal fabricator and spent several years working for established workshops before deciding to build a business of my own.

I started Chirwa Metal Works with a rented workshop, a second-hand welding machine, a basic grinder, and a handful of hand tools. At the beginning, most of our jobs came from homeowners who needed gates, burglar bars, window frames, repairs, and small steel structures. I personally measured sites, purchased materials, cut steel, welded components, painted finished products, and delivered installations. It was common for me to leave home before sunrise and return late in the evening, especially when several customers had deadlines connected to building projects.

Our reputation grew because we were willing to take small jobs seriously. We measured carefully, gave customers clear quotations, and tried to deliver when promised. Word-of-mouth recommendations gradually brought larger projects from contractors, hardware businesses, schools, churches, and property owners. We now manufacture security gates, window frames, steel doors, handrails, burglar bars, shelving systems, and custom metal structures. We also provide repair and maintenance services for customers who prefer repairing existing equipment rather than replacing it.

One important part of our business is working with local construction contractors. When a contractor has a building project underway, they often need several fabricated items at different stages. These orders can provide reliable revenue, but they also require us to meet strict measurements and deadlines. Our current equipment makes that increasingly difficult. Cutting and finishing are still heavily dependent on manual tools, and we have limited capacity for larger sections of steel. When several projects arrive at once, our workshop becomes congested and production slows.

Equipment breakdowns are another major problem. Our main welding machine and cutting tools have been repaired several times, and replacement parts are becoming increasingly expensive. We have learned to work around these limitations, but doing so costs time. A task that should take an hour can sometimes take several because we have to use slower equipment or send certain work to another workshop. This reduces our margins and makes it harder to accept larger contracts with strict delivery schedules.

Financially, Chirwa Metal Works has remained independent. I have funded the business through customer deposits, retained profits, and personal savings. Customer deposits help us purchase materials for specific jobs, but they are not enough to finance major equipment purchases. We have also experienced significant increases in steel prices, transport costs, electricity, and consumables such as welding electrodes and cutting discs. Despite these pressures, we have kept the business operating and continued paying our workers on time.

We now have an opportunity to expand because several construction companies and property developers have approached us about regular fabrication work. One contractor has indicated that they could increase their orders substantially if we can demonstrate that we have the machinery and capacity to handle larger volumes. We do not want to accept contracts that we cannot fulfill, so our immediate priority is to improve our workshop before committing to a larger workload.

We are seeking ZiG 1,920,000 to purchase modern metal fabrication equipment, improve our workshop, increase production capacity, and create skilled employment opportunities in Bulawayo.

• Purchase a heavy-duty metal cutting machine to improve speed, accuracy, and material efficiency.

• Acquire an industrial welding machine suitable for continuous workshop production.

• Purchase a metal bending machine to allow us to produce more complex frames, gates, and structural components in-house.

• Upgrade grinding, drilling, and finishing tools to reduce production bottlenecks.

• Improve electrical connections and workshop safety equipment to support the additional machinery.

• Purchase initial steel, tubing, sheets, hinges, locks, welding consumables, and finishing materials for larger orders.

• Improve the workshop's material storage system so steel can be organized safely and accessed more efficiently.

• Train existing and new employees in equipment operation, workplace safety, measurement accuracy, and quality control.

Our implementation timeline will begin with equipment procurement and workshop preparation. During the first month after funding, we will purchase the priority machinery and reorganize the workshop to create separate areas for cutting, welding, grinding, assembly, and finishing. The second month will focus on installation, testing, and staff training. During the third month, we will begin using the new equipment on existing orders while gradually accepting larger projects. By the sixth month, our goal is to have a more predictable production schedule and stronger relationships with construction contractors.

The investment will make our business more efficient in several ways. Faster cutting and bending will reduce the time required for each project, while better equipment will improve accuracy and reduce material waste. Keeping more fabrication processes in-house will also reduce the amount of work we currently outsource. These improvements should allow us to quote larger projects more competitively without sacrificing reasonable margins.

The expansion is expected to create at least seven direct jobs, including welders, fabricators, assistants, a finishing worker, and a delivery and installation employee. We also expect to increase our use of local transport providers, steel suppliers, hardware businesses, and equipment technicians. As our workshop becomes more productive, we plan to offer apprenticeships to young people interested in learning welding and metal fabrication skills.

My long-term vision is to develop Chirwa Metal Works into a respected fabrication company serving residential, commercial, and light industrial customers across Zimbabwe. I want us to progress from producing individual gates and frames to handling larger repeat contracts for construction companies, schools, warehouses, farms, and property developers. Eventually, we hope to introduce additional services such as agricultural equipment fabrication and customized storage systems.

Building this business has taught me that growth is not simply about getting more orders. It is about having the people, equipment, systems, and discipline to deliver those orders properly. This campaign gives us an opportunity to strengthen the foundation we have already built rather than starting from scratch. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and consider supporting us. Every contribution will help us purchase productive equipment, create skilled jobs, support local suppliers, and give a small Zimbabwean manufacturing business the opportunity to compete for larger contracts. My team and I are committed to using the funds responsibly and building a workshop that our customers and community can be proud of.