African Contractors Eye US$330bn Construction Opportunity

African contractors must position themselves to secure a meaningful share of the continent’s construction market, projected to reach US$330 billion by 2031, industry leaders have said.

Speaking at the Master Builders South Africa Congress in KwaZulu-Natal last week, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) president Tinashe Manzungu said the rapid expansion of Africa’s infrastructure market must translate into greater opportunities for local companies.

“With Africa’s construction market estimated to reach approximately US$330 billion by 2031, this cannot simply become another expanding market in which Africa consumes while others produce, build and profit,” said Manzungu.

He said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should be used to unlock markets for African contractors and promote greater participation by local companies in major infrastructure projects.

“AfCFTA must create a market for African contractors — not turn Africa into a dumping ground for goods and services manufactured elsewhere,” he said.

Manzungu added that regional integration should enable construction companies to cross borders, form joint ventures, transfer skills and develop local manufacturing capacity.

The ZBCA president believes Zimbabwe, whose own construction sector is on a positive growth path, is primed to become a construction powerhouse in the region.

“Zimbabwe’s construction sector is projected to grow by approximately 5% in 2026, while real estate activities are projected to grow by around 3.2%. We are seeing increased activity in housing, roads, energy, mining infrastructure and new urban developments.

“The modernisation of Beitbridge and continued investment in major transport corridors demonstrate Zimbabwe’s potential to position itself alongside South Africa as a strategic gateway into the continent,” said Manzungu.

“For us at ZBCA, the real measure of this construction boom must be how much it strengthens Zimbabwean contractors, creates employment, unlocks construction finance and grows our local building-materials industry. Our message is simple: Zimbabwe must not only be a construction market; we must build the capacity to become a construction powerhouse in Southern Africa.”

To this end, according to Manzungu, the association’s growing relationship with Master Builders South Africa was part of efforts to connect the two industries and open regional opportunities for Zimbabwean contractors.

“The opportunity is enormous. But opportunity alone is not enough. Africa must be built by Africans — with African contractors, African skills, and African materials and strong strategic partnerships with the world,” Manzungu said.

He said the industry’s priority was now to move “from conversations to capacity, collaboration and contracts.”

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