ZIDA unveils investment pipeline

ZIMBABWE is intensifying efforts to reduce food imports and strengthen domestic value chains, with value addition of agricultural produce emerging as a central focus, according to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA).

In its latest project prospectus, ZIDA unveiled a pipeline of agricultural investments covering crop production, livestock, agro-processing, and special economic zones, positioning the sector as a cornerstone of the country's industrialisation and import substitution agenda.

"The prospectus features value-addition and manufacturing projects aimed at supporting import substitution, export growth and deeper regional market integration," ZIDA said, noting that the opportunities align with national industrial policy priorities and are supported by improving infrastructure, policy reforms, and rising domestic demand.

Agriculture remains one of Zimbabwe's most strategically important sectors, supporting about 70 percent of livelihoods, contributing roughly 15 percent to gross domestic product, and supplying more than 60 percent of raw materials to local manufacturing. It also accounts for nearly 30 percent of export earnings, making it a natural platform for reducing imports while stimulating industrial growth.

At the centre of the initiative are integrated agro-industrial projects designed to link farming, processing, and logistics within single production ecosystems.

Analysts say this approach addresses a long-standing economic weakness: exporting raw produce while importing processed food at higher costs. By fostering local processing and value addition, the strategy offers a more sustainable path to import substitution based on competitiveness rather than restrictive measures.

ZIDA's prospectus signals a clear push to transform Zimbabwe's agriculture sector into a value-driven, export-ready engine of growth, while also supporting local manufacturing and broader economic development.