Online Reporter
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Business Reporter
THE second edition of the tobacco conference, initially scheduled for tomorrow in Harare, has been postponed to Friday next week to accommodate key stakeholders who are currently attending to other critical national engagements.
Zimpapers Business Hub editor, Mr Hebert Zharare, confirmed the development yesterday, adding that the decision was made to ensure inclusive participation from all major players in the tobacco value chain.
“Some of the key stakeholders who had expressed keen interest in participating are currently attending to other critical official national engagements. And to accommodate broader and meaningful dialogue, we have rescheduled the conference to August 1,” he said.
The conference is being organised by Zimpapers in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).
The indaba is expected to bring together policymakers, farmers, merchants and financiers to discuss trends, challenges and the future of the tobacco sector. The conference, which will be held under the theme: “Transforming Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry through Beneficiation and Value Addition – Unlocking a $5 Billion Industry!”, brings together stakeholders from across the tobacco value chain to push toward maximising value retention and earnings from the sub-sector.
“Last year’s event laid the groundwork; it was about bringing all the players to the table, setting a common agenda, and starting a national conversation on the future of tobacco.
“Therefore, this year we are building on that momentum, but with a sharper and more results-oriented approach,” said Mr Zharare.
He said the 2025 edition of the conference is unique as it goes beyond discussing volumes and export figures, but would interrogate how Zimbabwe can retain more value locally, create jobs through downstream industries and develop a competitive tobacco-based manufacturing industry. Presently, Zimbabwe exports the bulk of its tobacco as raw leaf, earning significant foreign currency, but missing out on the added value created through local processing and manufacturing.
“What sets the 2025 tobacco conference apart is the deliberate fulcrum toward beneficiation and value addition, not just in theory, but with pragmatic insights, business cases and policy frameworks on the table. We are not just talking about raw leaf exports, but we are interrogating how, as a country, we can produce cigarettes and even other tobacco-related products locally,” said Mr Zharare.
“It is in this context that we envisage the forthcoming conference to pivot the industry from a traditional model to exploring opportunities for vertical integration and fostering local production of tobacco-based goods.”
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dr Thomas Utete Ushe are expected to headline keynote addresses while industry leaders, tobacco experts and agribusiness investors, among others, will share insights on modernising Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector.
Meanwhile, the 2025 tobacco marketing season has already delivered a significant milestone as deliveries rose exponentially to about 350 million kilogrammes against the 300 million kg initial projection.
Therefore, this reflects the highest output since commercial production began in the early 1900s. Notably, smallholder farmers, most of whom benefited from Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme, contributed 85 percent of the output, underscoring the critical role of grassroots producers in the sector’s success.
According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, as of Day 88 of the marketing season, sales have so far surpassed 340,2 million kg, reflecting a 51 percent spike from the 225 million kg sold in the same period last year.
Moreso, earnings from the crop have surged, reaching US$1,13 billion, boosting Zimbabwe’s foreign currency reserves.
Of the total sold so far, 321 million kg were marketed through the contract arrangement, while 18,8 million kg were sold via auction. The dominance of contract sales highlights the evolving structure of the industry, with private sector partnerships becoming increasingly prominent.
As Zimbabwe looks into the future, the forthcoming tobacco forum is expected to act as a catalyst for investment mobilisation, innovation, policy shifts, and pushing the country closer to the envisioned US$5 billion tobacco industry.
