UZ-Led Plant Boosts Smart Registration Plates Production

Zimbabwe is accelerating its industrialization drive through the local production of smart vehicle registration plates, with output rapidly expanding at the University of Zimbabwe-led National Transtech Solutions plant. The plant, which is a consortium of eight tertiary institutions, produces plates for private, public, and commercial vehicles, each equipped with advanced security features such as tamper-proof holograms and unique QR codes .

The plant has the capacity to produce about 13,000 plates a day and has supplied almost 300,000 plates since the project began. Local production has significantly lowered the national import bill, saving millions in foreign currency while creating employment opportunities for young Zimbabweans .

University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor Paul Mapfumo said the consortium was born out of the country's past challenges in securing number plates, prompting local institutions to innovate and provide lasting solutions. The government is committed to promoting sustainable, home-grown industrial solutions, with research increasingly transformed into practical economic outputs .

In other news, Jersey miner Caledonia Mining Corporation has confirmed that no amendments are required to the Bilboes Gold Project Technical Report Summary, following the promulgation of Finance Act 2025 with a revised royalty regime. The revised royalties introduce a 3% royalty when the price is below US$1,200 per ounce of gold, 5% between US$1,200 and US$5,000, and 10% when prices exceed US$5,000 .