Shacman Heavy-Duty Trucks Deepen Footprint in Zimbabwe: Customized Solutions Empower Mining and Infrastructure Upgrades

Amid Zimbabwe’s “minerals-for-infrastructure” development drive, China’s Shacman heavy-duty trucks have emerged as a core equipment partner for local mining transportation and infrastructure construction, leveraging a “one country, one vehicle” customization strategy and end-to-end service support. From the Marange diamond mines to the Harare railway renovation sites, Shacman trucks continue to inject momentum into the building of the China-Zimbabwe “all-weather community with a shared future” through their reliable performance and localized services.​

Mining Transportation: Customized Vehicles Break Efficiency Bottlenecks​

Zimbabwe boasts mineral resources across 60% of its land area, yet outdated transportation equipment once hindered mining efficiency. To address the challenges of gravel roads and high-load operations in local mines, Shacman launched the customized Delong X3000 8×4 dump truck, equipped with a Weichai high-horsepower engine and a reinforced wear-resistant cargo box—an ideal fit for transporting heavy materials such as platinum and lithium ore.​

“Shacman trucks have completely transformed our operational rhythm,” said Moses Mutanda, transportation manager of the Marange diamond mines. The 50 Shacman dump trucks introduced in 2024 have reduced failure rates by 60% compared to previously used brands, increasing the monthly cargo-carrying hours per vehicle by 80 and directly boosting mining transportation efficiency by over 30%. This performance has prompted neighboring gold and chrome mining enterprises to follow suit with purchases, and Shacman now holds over 25% of the heavy-duty truck market share in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.​

Infrastructure Construction: Condition-Adapted Solutions Ensure Project Progress​

With the launch of major China-Zimbabwe infrastructure projects such as railway renovations, Shacman trucks have become the “backbone” of construction efforts. In the Harare-Beitbridge railway restoration project, the contractor deployed 20 Shacman Delong M3000S concrete mixers and 15 tractors to handle core tasks of concrete transportation and building material transfer.​

To tackle Zimbabwe’s unstable power supply and hot, dry conditions in some regions, Shacman customized an independent emergency power system for the mixers, ensuring continuous operation of the mixing drum even during power outages. It also optimized the heat dissipation module, reducing engine overheating failure rates to below 0.5%. “Shacman’s technical team is stationed at the construction site, providing 24/7 maintenance support, which has accelerated the project progress by 15% ahead of schedule,” noted Peter Chuku, the project manager. Additionally, the Delong X5000 tractors supplied to local logistics companies feature an intelligent fuel-saving system, cutting fuel consumption by 2-3 liters per 100 kilometers and saving over $150,000 in annual fuel costs.​

Service Ecosystem: Cross-Border Networks Strengthen Support Foundations​

Recognizing that “service is the second productive force,” Shacman has built a full-lifecycle service system in Zimbabwe. In collaboration with local distributors, it established 2 service centers in Harare and Bulawayo, stocked with over 3,000 types of commonly used spare parts. These centers are integrated into the cross-border service network of Southern Africa, enabling spare part delivery within 9 hours across borders.​

“We don’t just sell trucks—we cultivate local service capabilities,” said the head of Shacman’s Southern Africa region. In 2024, the company conducted 12 technical training sessions, nurturing over 50 local professional maintenance technicians. It also launched an innovative “finance + service” package, partnering with local banks to offer flexible credit schemes that lower procurement barriers for enterprises. This “product + service + finance” ecosystem model secured Shacman a long-term cooperation contract with the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), providing exclusive transportation solutions for its public-private partnership projects.​

Win-Win Vision: Rooting Locally to Drive Development Upgrades​

Moving beyond “product export” to “ecosystem globalization,” Shacman is deeply integrating into Zimbabwe’s development process. Leveraging its experience in localized production across 17 countries, Shacman has initiated a feasibility study for an assembly plant in Zimbabwe. The plan involves collaborating with supporting enterprises such as Fast Gear and Hande Axle to build a localized heavy-duty truck industrial chain, which is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 5,000 units and create over 200 jobs once operational.​

Looking ahead, Shacman will focus on Zimbabwe’s new energy transition needs, developing electric heavy-duty trucks tailored for mining transportation. It will also deepen cooperation with Chinese enterprises, providing integrated “mining-transportation” solutions for companies like Tsingshan Holdings and Huayou Cobalt. “Shacman aims to be the best partner for Zimbabwe’s infrastructure upgrading,” the regional head stated. “As China-Zimbabwe cooperation continues to deepen, Shacman will contribute to the revitalization of Africa’s ‘resource arteries’ with even better products and services.”​