Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo,[email protected]
CONFEDERATION of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) is currently undertaking value chain analysis to better understand where economic value is being created, retained, or lost across production systems.
This work is part of a broader effort to support Zimbabwe’s industrial recovery through targeted, evidence-based interventions.
In its 2025 mid-year issue, CZI said understanding the structure of key local value chains is central to this process.
The orgaisation said it enables both policymakers and investors to identify where import replacement is possible, where productivity can be improved, and where coordinated support could unlock growth at scale.
“Findings from the 2024 Manufacturing Sector Survey confirmed the urgency of this work. With average capacity utilisation at 45 percent and a continued increase in imported finished goods, it is clear that Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector remains under pressure,” said CZI.
“Addressing these structural gaps is necessary for rebuilding production capacity and improving industrial competitiveness.
“As part of the Five-Year Industry Agenda, CZI has completed value chain studies in five sectors: dairy, cotton, timber, leather, and sugar.”
CZI said these studies assessed cost structures, market constraints, and competitiveness issues, and were validated through stakeholder engagement.
In addition to informing policy work, the studies also identified product-level gaps where local production may be feasible.
In response, CZI has initiated further studies to assess whether specific opportunities, such as glucose, gelatin, and cotton ginning, can be developed into commercially viable industrial activities.
“CZI is also launching studies into six additional value chains, namely stockfeed, cement, cooking oil, detergents (soap), corn starch, and coffee to explore further opportunities and constraints,” said the organisation.
“Glucose, gelatin, and cotton lint remain essential inputs across food, pharmaceutical, textile, and manufacturing value chains in Zimbabwe.
“While demand for these products is well established, CZI’s value chain analysis has shown that two of them, glucose and gelatin, continue to be imported in full, and the third, cotton, is mostly exported with minimal domestic processing.”
CZI said these patterns point to missed opportunities for local production, value addition, and enterprise development.
CZI is also undertaking feasibility and pre-feasibility studies to assess whether viable business models can be developed around these products.
The aim is to generate data that will inform investment decisions, guide enterprise-level planning, and support future policy dialogue.
“The cotton farmgate ginning study, initiated in June 2025, follows from the cotton-to-clothing value chain work,” said CZI.
“It is focused on assessing whether decentralised ginneries, located closer to farming areas, can operate sustainably and contribute to value retention at the point of production.
“The study is examining technical and financial requirements, market prospects, and overall commercial viability.”
