City of Bulawayo

What City of Bulawayo does

The City of Bulawayo (Bulawayo City Council) is the municipal government of Zimbabwe's second-largest city, serving approximately 1.5 million residents across 29 wards and constituting the regional capital of Matabeleland. The authority is governed by elected councillors under the Urban Councils Act, with Senator David Coltart as Mayor and Christopher Dube as Town Clerk (Chief Executive), and operates through eight departments covering Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, Human Capital, Engineering Services, Financial Services, Town Planning, Health Services, and Housing & Community Services. Service delivery spans water supply and sanitation, waste management, housing and building inspectorate (with a 6-week building plan turnaround), 14+ council clinics providing primary healthcare and antiretroviral treatment, council schools and suburban libraries, fire and ambulance response, five cemeteries plus the West Park Crematorium (handling roughly 3,600 burials and 120 cremations annually), parking management, and a procurement portal for council tenders.

The technology stack is conventional digital-government infrastructure: an A-Z online services portal on citybyo.co.zw, a 24/7 call center with formal service-level standards (90% of calls answered within 30 seconds), digital payment integration through PayNow, E-Solutions and ECOCASH Link (including a new ECOCASH USSD code *151*100#), a water situation monitoring and shedding-scheduling system, WhatsApp and email customer-registration channels, and dedicated media outreach including the Masiyephambili weekly newsletter and Twitter/Facebook/YouTube channels. A subsidiary-utility vehicle (the proposed Bulawayo Water and Sanitation Public Utility, 100% council-owned) is being established to professionalize water and sanitation delivery.

Revenue is generated through a diversified municipal tariff structure approved by the Ministry of Local Government: differential property rates on land and improvements, tiered consumption-based water charges (6 cents/kL for the first 14 kL, escalating to 18–54 cents/kL depending on density), a 34 cent/kL overconsumption penalty, monthly road and solid-waste levies, licensing and permit fees (trading, building, development, shop licensing), development charges and land sales, plus ancillary income from ambulance, fire, advertising and fines. With 155,000+ domestic and business customers billed monthly and approximately 150,000 bills generated per month, distribution is omnichannel—digital payment, City Hall and Tower Block offices, suburban revenue halls and district housing offices in Nketa, Mabutweni, Pumula and Entumbane, plus the call center and WhatsApp—targeting residents, property owners, businesses, investors, youth (15-24) and visitors.

Name

City of Bulawayo

Legal name

City of Bulawayo

Website

https://citybyo.co.zw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The City of Bulawayo is the municipal government of Zimbabwe's second-largest city, serving approximately 1.5 million residents across 29 wards with statutory authority over water, sanitation, health, housing, emergency services, property rates and licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Finance, Treasury, Budget & Procurement (BPAIACAC), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE), Payments, Collections & Credit/Delinquency Management (payment channels, dunning, write-offs) (EUANAIAE)

Keywords

• Municipal services
• Water management
• Urban governance
• Waste management
• Public health

Headquarters

HQ city

Bulawayo

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Rates: Differential rating system based on owners rates for land and improvements. The revenue is collected under owners rates land, owners rates improvements, forming the revenue base of the local authority.
2. Water Charges: Consumption-based water charges: first 14 kiloliters at 6 cents per kiloliter; 15-25 kiloliters at 18 cents (Low Density) or 13 cents (High Density); 26+ kiloliters at 54 cents (Low Density) or 42 cents (High Density). Penalties for over-allocated consumption.
3. Service Charges and Levies: Road levy, solid waste management charges, and supplementary charges collected monthly. Also handles land sales, advertising charges, ambulance and fire brigade services, and miscellaneous income including fines. Approximately 150,000 bills generated monthly.
4. Licensing and Permits: Trading permits, building permits, development permits, shop licensing, and various other municipal licenses and permits.
5. Development Charges: Revenue from development permits, land sales, and property-related transactions including title deeds processing.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The City of Bulawayo is a municipal government that provides statutory public administrative services to approximately 1.5 million residents across 29 wards, including water supply and sanitation, healthcare through 14 council clinics, council schools and libraries, housing and building inspectorate services, cemetery and crematorium operations, fire and ambulance response, parking management, property rates billing, and licensing and permits. Services are delivered through eight municipal departments with digital payment options, an A-Z online portal, and a 24/7 call center, generating roughly 150,000 bills monthly for over 155,000 domestic and business customers.

Product overview

The City of Bulawayo is a municipal government providing comprehensive civic services through a multi-department structure. The core service portfolio includes online payment processing (PayNow, E-Solutions, Ecocash Link), 24/7 call center operations, water and sanitation management, housing and building inspectorate services, 14 council clinics and health services, cemetery and crematorium operations, council schools and library services, community and social services, fire and emergency response, parking management, and a procurement portal for tenders. The city also administers specialized initiatives such as the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund providing microgrants for youth climate projects, and the Bulawayo Home Industries program for women and youth economic empowerment. Services are delivered through eight departments: Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, Human Capital, Engineering Services, Financial Services, Town Planning, Health Services, and Housing & Community Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water and Sanitation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 155,000+ customers served with monthly billing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Dan Church AidmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2024Dan Church Aid partnered with the City of Bulawayo in responding to water challenges in the city. This development cooperation focuses on addressing water supply issues and improving water infrastructure for residents of Bulawayo.
• Alliance of Dialogue on Shelter for the Homeless TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The City of Bulawayo established a joint City fund (Pro-Poor City Fund) with the Alliance of Dialogue on Shelter for the Homeless Trust to support affordable housing and shelter initiatives for low-income residents.
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UCLG partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to deliver the Youth Climate Action Fund programme in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy serve as learning partners.
• Durban - EThekwini (South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister city partnership promoting Bulawayo as an investment destination and international local government cooperation. Focus areas include urban regeneration, transportation, solid waste management, water and sanitation, ICT initiatives, cultural exchange, environmental management, business and tourism links, and healthcare practices.
• Aberdeen (Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister city partnership with Aberdeen, Scotland for sharing expertise in local governance, development, and strategic international relations. Partnership includes cooperation in areas of urban regeneration, transportation, solid waste management, water and sanitation, ICT initiatives, cultural exchange, and environmental management.
• Polokwane Municipality (South Africa)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding signed with Polokwane Municipality for the development of sister city partnerships. Part of the city's strategy to develop global partnerships for sharing best practices and overall development of Bulawayo.
• Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to deliver the Youth Climate Action Fund programme, providing technical assistance and support for youth-driven climate action initiatives in participating cities including Bulawayo.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• City of Johannesburg: Larger South African metropolitan municipality operating an overlapping municipal service portfolio (water utility, rates, clinics, housing) at significantly greater scale than Bulawayo.
• City of Cape Town: Major South African metropolitan municipality running comparable water and sanitation, rates billing, and digital customer-service platforms; broader and more diversified than Bulawayo.

Direct peers

• eThekwini Municipality (Durban): Sister-city peer in South Africa delivering comparable municipal services including water, sanitation, solid waste, and urban regeneration; explicitly partnered with Bulawayo across the same service lines.
• City of Harare: Zimbabwe's largest municipal authority, delivering the same suite of water, sanitation, rates, housing, and health services under the Urban Councils Act with shared regulatory and macroeconomic context.
• City of Mutare: Zimbabwean municipal authority with similar Urban Councils Act mandate covering water, sanitation, property rates, and housing in a smaller urban setting.
• Polokwane Municipality: South African municipal authority operating water, sanitation, housing, and revenue-collection functions; MoU partner with Bulawayo for sister-city cooperation and capability exchange.
• City of Gweru: Zimbabwean local authority delivering parallel municipal services including water, rates, housing, and clinics within the same legal and macro context as Bulawayo.

Regional players

• Aberdeen City Council: Scottish local authority formally partnered with Bulawayo via sister-city agreement; comparable in scope (water, waste, housing, digital services) but operating in a higher-income regulatory environment.
• Kampala Capital City Authority: Capital-city authority in Uganda overseeing similar urban services (water coordination, sanitation, parking, markets) with comparable governance and infrastructure challenges in a regional African context.
• Nairobi City County: Kenyan county government providing analogous urban services including water, sanitation, rates, and housing at metropolitan scale across East Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityofBulawayo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvQKyn0H3DotiH7ywZJJ8Yw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BulawayoCityCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Bulawayo