UK-Based Businessman Builds US$500K Hospital in Zvishavane

Villagers in Ward 10 of Runde Rural District in Zvishavane have gained access to a new hospital after United Kingdom-based businessman and Valley Seeds director Nkatazo Temba Chakawa invested about US$500,000 in the construction of Nkatazo Hospital.

The solar-powered facility is expected to reduce the distance villagers travel to access healthcare, with residents previously having to walk about 10 kilometres to reach the nearest health centre, according to the information provided for the project.

The development has also been reported by Zimbabwean media outlets, which identified the facility as Nkatazo Rural Hospital and said it was built in the Sasula area of Zvishavane. ZBC News reported that the hospital was fully equipped and would provide services including maternity care, X-rays and scans.

Other reports said the project was completed after construction began in the first quarter of 2023 and was finished in July 2025. The Sun reported that the hospital was built through collaboration between the government and development partners, while Valley Seeds chairman Themba Nkatazo was identified as having spearheaded the construction.

Zimba News reported that the US$500,000 hospital is located in Ward 10 and is expected to serve 22 villages with a combined population of about 6,000 people. The report said residents previously had to travel long distances to Lundi Rural Hospital for medical assistance.

The hospital provides services that include maternity care, emergency care, X-rays and scans. The addition of diagnostic services means residents in the surrounding rural communities can access healthcare facilities closer to where they live.

The development has been welcomed as an improvement in healthcare access for communities that previously faced challenges travelling to medical facilities. ZBC News reported that villagers said the facility would particularly benefit pregnant women and children who had faced difficulties accessing healthcare.

“Healthcare delivery in Zvishavane will never be the same again. This facility is a blessing, especially for pregnant women and children who bore the brunt of poor access in the past,” one villager was quoted as saying by ZBC News.

The project has also received recognition from Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube. He described the facility as an important development for rural communities and commended Mr and Mrs Nkatazo for spearheading the construction.

According to The Sun, Ncube said construction of the hospital started in the first quarter of 2023 and was completed in July 2025. He said the project complemented the government’s rural transformation agenda.

Valley Seeds chairman Themba Nkatazo described the facility as a milestone aimed at ensuring rural communities have access to healthcare services. He specifically highlighted maternity care, X-rays and scans as part of the services available at the hospital.

The development has also been linked to wider efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure in rural areas. Ncube said the hospital was consistent with the government’s focus on bringing services such as healthcare, roads, schools and clean water closer to rural communities.

The construction of Nkatazo Hospital comes as other healthcare infrastructure projects are also being developed in Zvishavane. In January 2026, The Chronicle reported that Ncube had highlighted Nkatazo Hospital as an example of private-sector-led rural transformation alongside other health infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe.

The hospital is therefore expected to play a role beyond providing treatment by reducing the distance that residents need to travel when seeking medical attention. Its location in the rural community places healthcare services closer to residents who previously depended on facilities farther away.

The project has also drawn attention because of the reported involvement of a businessman in the development of healthcare infrastructure in his home area. A social media post independently described the investment as a US$500,000 project and linked Nkatazo to Valley Seeds and community initiatives in Zvishavane. This provides additional corroboration of the reported investment, although the social media source is less authoritative than the established news reports. (LinkedIn⁠)

While the hospital has been described in some reports as having been developed through collaboration between the government and development partners, the businessman and his family have been credited with spearheading the project. The available reports therefore indicate a combination of private initiative and broader institutional involvement in the development.

The facility’s completion provides the surrounding villages with access to healthcare services that include maternity care, emergency care and diagnostic services. The hospital is expected to serve thousands of people across the surrounding communities and reduce the burden associated with travelling long distances for medical attention.

For villagers in Ward 10 and surrounding areas, the development represents a significant change in access to healthcare. With the hospital now established in the community, residents can seek essential medical services closer to home instead of relying entirely on facilities located several kilometres away.

The Nkatazo Hospital project also adds to the growing involvement of private individuals and development partners in rural infrastructure. Government officials have cited the facility as an example of how investment in local infrastructure can help address gaps between rural and urban service delivery.

The hospital’s development, which began in 2023 and was completed in July 2025, has now created a permanent healthcare facility for the Sasula community and surrounding villages. With an estimated population of about 6,000 people across 22 villages expected to benefit, the project is set to become an important healthcare facility in the area.