HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has toured the newly commissioned CRP Tobacco Processing Facility, a US$100 million investment that marks a major step in Zimbabwe’s efforts to industrialise and increase local tobacco processing.
During the visit, the President officially unveiled the plant’s commemorative plaque, reiterating the government’s commitment to value addition and boosting overall sector output.
The facility, developed by Cut Rag Processors — a company owned by businessman Simon Rudland — significantly expands Zimbabwe’s capacity to convert raw leaf into cut rag tobacco, the shredded blend used in cigarette manufacturing. The new Harare plant is expected to triple production capacity, positioning the firm as a key player in downstream processing.
According to company figures, the plant can process three million kilogrammes of tobacco per month and produce up to 60,000 master cases of cigarettes.
Industry Context
Zimbabwe produced a record 354 million kilogrammes of tobacco during the latest season, yet only 10% is processed locally, and just 2% is converted into finished cigarettes. The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) aims to lift local processing levels to 30% as part of ongoing value-chain reforms.
Currently, the industry processes 7.3 million kilogrammes of cut rag annually. Zimbabwe has nine cigarette manufacturers producing four billion sticks per year, well below their combined capacity of 17 billion sticks—a sign of significant room for expansion should more value addition occur domestically.
A Push for Industrialisation
Government officials say the new facility aligns with national economic policy goals under the Second Republic, particularly efforts to retain more value from Zimbabwe’s top foreign currency–earning crop rather than exporting unprocessed leaf.
