Meet Simbi Phiri: Malawian tycoon whose firm built a $100 million water plant outside Gaborone

Malawian businessman Simbi Phiri has spent years building a reputation in one of Africa’s most demanding industries. As chairman of Khato Civils, he has overseen the company’s growth into a major infrastructure contractor with operations in Malawi, South Africa and Botswana, delivering large-scale projects that have placed it among the region’s established construction firms. That standing is reflected in the completion of the $100 million Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant outside Gaborone, a project that has strengthened Botswana’s water supply while highlighting the firm’s expertise in large-scale engineering.

Commissioned in 2024, the Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant ranks among the largest and most advanced water treatment facilities in Southern Africa. Located just outside Botswana’s capital, the plant has the capacity to treat 110 million litres of water every day. Combined with the older Mmamashia facility, which has the same capacity, the two plants produce 220 million litres daily. When another 64 million litres from the Masama wellfields are added, Botswana’s treated water output reaches 284 million litres each day, significantly strengthening water availability for Greater Gaborone and nearby communities.

Regional projects reinforce infrastructure leadership

The project’s importance extends beyond its production capacity. The facility was designed to operate primarily through gravity, reducing energy consumption and lowering operating costs. It draws water from multiple sources, including the North-South Carrier, Gaborone Dam and Bokaa Dam, allowing supply to continue even if one source becomes unavailable. Since entering service in October 2024, the plant has become more than critical infrastructure. It has attracted engineering students, including groups from the University of Johannesburg, who have visited to study its design and operations, while other international universities have also expressed interest in the facility.

The Mmamashia project adds to a growing list of major infrastructure contracts completed under Phiri’s leadership. Khato Civils has secured multi-million-dollar projects across Southern Africa, including the $351 million Salima-Lilongwe Water Supply Project in Malawi and the 100-kilometer Masama-Mmamashia Water Pipeline Project in Botswana. Together, these projects have reinforced the company’s position in water infrastructure, an area Phiri believes will remain one of Africa’s most pressing development priorities.

From village roots to infrastructure empire

Born in the village of Nkhoma in Malawi’s Lilongwe Rural East, Phiri was raised in Chembe before moving to Botswana with his father. He was born to a Malawian father and a mother from Botswana and later became a naturalised South African. His upbringing across different parts of Southern Africa shaped his outlook on business and his belief that lasting success on the continent requires a strong understanding of African values.

His professional career began after relocating to South Africa in his late twenties, where he joined LTE, an engineering company regarded among Johannesburg’s leading firms. He steadily advanced through the business, becoming one of three partners before taking over a small company originally established by Italian immigrants. Under his leadership, that business grew from a Grade 4 contractor into a Grade 9 firm, laying the foundation for a larger ambition.

That experience led to the acquisition of Khato Civils in 2010. As executive chairman, Phiri transformed the company from a relatively small operation into a billion-dollar infrastructure business with projects spanning multiple African countries. Today, the company operates across Malawi, South Africa and Botswana, delivering major contracts in water supply, civil engineering and other infrastructure projects that have made Phiri one of Malawi’s most prominent figures in the construction industry.

Resilience defined Khato’s entrepreneurial journey

For Phiri, the roots of his entrepreneurial outlook stretch back to his childhood. He often credits his grandfather for shaping the way he approaches business and setbacks. “My grandfather had a lot to do with it. He was a self-starter who owned maize farms, livestock and always had a commercial venture going on. I became a very formidable maize farmer and my income from maize farming rivalled that from my construction business. My grandfather always worked for himself and sometimes he would take big hits when crop yields went down. After taking huge losses, he would always bounce back from those failures and that resilience rubbed off on me. That also gave me the ability to identify good opportunities and that is how the acquisition of the company happened.”

That philosophy has also shaped the sectors Khato Civils chooses to focus on. While the company has worked across bulk earthworks, energy and civil engineering, water infrastructure remains central to its business. “Water and sanitation is without a doubt the main area that will boom in Africa in the short-term future. If you look at big cities like Accra, their biggest issue is water and sanitation. The same applies to other cities like Lagos and Kinshasa with power and roads coming a close second. We focus mostly on water and sanitation as well as roads and infrastructure development because we know how dear these issues are in our countries.”

Khato Civils eyes continental expansion

Looking ahead, Khato Civils plans to build on its presence in Southern Africa by expanding into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya. The company says it intends to work alongside local businesses and communities wherever it operates. As part of that approach, it has committed to allocating 30 percent of the value of projects to three partner firms in each new market it enters, combining expansion with the development of local contractors. The company’s long-term plan is to establish a presence in 42 African markets while continuing a communications campaign aimed at highlighting the challenges African entrepreneurs and professionals face as they seek to help build the continent’s infrastructure.

From a childhood in rural Malawi to leading a company behind projects valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, including the $100 million Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant and the $351 million Salima-Lilongwe Water Supply Project, Phiri’s career has been closely tied to infrastructure that supports growing cities and communities. His work reflects a sustained focus on water supply, sanitation and essential public works, sectors he believes will remain central to Africa’s development for years to come.