Industrial sustainability in a challenged economy: The Zimbabwe steel industry

The economy of Zimbabwe has deteriorated over the years with hyperinflation. In the years 2006 to 2008 the conditions worsened and in 2009 a multicurrency system including the US dollar was introduced, however investment in the industry did not strengthen and a number of challenges are still faced by the industry. A main feature of the Industry in Zimbabwe had been the steel and steel related manufacturing industry which was key for both domestic and foreign markets. The motivation for this study was to investigate and propose strategies for enhancing sustainability of steel making companies in Zimbabwe. The aim of this research was to undertake a requirements analysis from the steel companies and identify the main challenges from the point of view of steel production. From these challenges the paper aimed to help co-define some of the possible solutions the companies could consider. Sharing the findings could help companies pick up best practice and inform policy makers in developing new frameworks for improving industrial sustainability.