“Chinese” Hangzhou Laison Technology, Hre City & Helcraw in Zimbabwe’s Borrowdale Smart Water Partnership

By Ross Moyo

Harare City Council has partnered with Hangzhou Laison Technology of China and local firm Helcraw Water to deploy smart water metering in Borrowdale, Helcraw Chairman Farai Jere and Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe confirmed last week.

In an exclusive interview with TechnoMag the Minister sang from the same hymn book as Helcraw’s Jere,
“The pilot targets non-revenue water losses and billing disputes in the upmarket suburb, using Laison’s NB-IoT ultrasonic smart meters.”

Helcraw, a Zimbabwean systems integrator, will handle “local installation, backhaul, and customer support under the tripartite agreement not just of metres but changing of pipes from asbestos to pvc pipes.”

Hangzhou Laison Technology, listed on China’s Shenzhen exchange, supplies smart utility IoT solutions across Asia and Africa.

The meters transmit real-time consumption data via 4G/5G and NB-IoT, leveraging Zimbabwe’s expanding LTE footprint.

Borrowdale was selected due to high water demand, network readiness, and historic billing challenges.

The system allows prepaid and postpaid modes, remote valve control, leak detection, and tamper alerts.

City officials say the project aligns with the National AI Strategy 2026–2030 and smart city frameworks.

Data from meters will feed into Harare’s command centre, integrating with billing and pressure management systems.

The partnership is expected to scale to other suburbs if the Borrowdale pilot meets KPI thresholds.