Sanctioned and isolated by the West, Zimbabwe’s economy has taken a beating for more than two decades but in that period, a number of Chinese companies have stuck it out and become favorites winning contracts for big-ticket projects.

Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Company, one of China’s largest construction conglomerates that’s very active in Africa, is one such company. It has won the trust of Victor Utedzi, founder of the solar farm Centragrid which was designed and built by Sinohydro.