Zimbabwe is strengthening its tobacco partnership with China to grow exports, create jobs, and increase value addition in the local industry.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe–China Tobacco Business Expo in Harare, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chairperson Patrick Devenish said the two countries are moving from simply selling raw tobacco to building factories that process it locally.
“This meeting is not just about trade. It’s about building the future of Zimbabwe’s tobacco,” Devenish said.
“We want to see real progress, more value added here at home, and more benefits for farmers.”
He said the tobacco industry earned US$1.2 billion for farmers this year the highest in history.
He also noted that farmers are using climate-smart methods, with irrigated tobacco increasing by 11 percent, showing resilience and innovation.
Devenish, however, said more needs to be done to improve local processing.
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“Only about 10 percent of our tobacco is processed in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“We need to work closely with our Chinese partners in making cigarettes, shisha, and other products so that we stop exporting jobs.”
He added that Zimbabwe’s main challenges such as old machinery, lack of funding, and unused factory capacity can be solved through joint ventures and smart investments.
“Our challenge is not the absence of money, but how we choose to use it,” he said.
“There are young people across Zimbabwe and Africa with ideas that can change the tobacco industry. What they need is support and belief in their potential.”
The Expo, organised by TIMB, brings together Chinese and Zimbabwean investors, farmers, and manufacturers to explore new business opportunities and strengthen long-term cooperation in the tobacco value chain.
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