eBusiness Weekly
Enacy Mapakame
Tanganda Tea Company Limited’s says its beverages division is focused on creating and developing brands mainly from herbal infusions, collaborating with local communities for their economic emancipation.
This comes as research carried out in this market as well as other markets across the world has shown that consumers are getting more and more health conscious and leaning towards herbal products.
The division consists of the blending and packaging plant in Mutare, with sales and distribution depots in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare.
According to group chairman Herbert Nkala, the unit partners with local communities in harnessing of local natural flora for the benefit of modern consumers, with communities benefitting from the group’s purchase of the various herbal infusions.
These initiatives are also anchored on indigenous knowledge systems where the “infusions have been known and passed on from generation to generation.”
“Indeed, before the advent of modern-day pharmaceutical industries these have been the bulwark of human health!
Tanganda brings these to modern consumers in trusted measured and convenient well researched ways in liaison with communities,” said Nkala.
“The company, as the leading tea supplier in the market and in response to discernable consumer appetites preferring healthy lifestyles and health related beverages, continues supplying herbal infusions. Research is ongoing to broaden this range by bringing in flavoured herbal infusions,” he said.
Meanwhile, demand for packed tea in the local market continues to be strong.
According to the group, order books for packed tea remain strong. Delays in supplying due to distributive and other logistical challenges contributed to the variance in supply between prior year and current year for the black tea segment.
Over the financial period, packed tea volumes into the regional market recorded a 2 percent growth from 343 tonnes in the prior year to 350 tonnes. This growth in export sales comes following another 57 percent growth in the previous year from an initial 218 tonnes.
This growth is in line with the strategic thrust to grow exports as a way of increasing capacity utilisation and growing shareholder value by value adding primary processed tea.
“There are indications that going forward exports will continue to increase especially into Africa north of the Limpopo.
“Regional growth will help in hedging against local inflation and will also broaden our customer base hence diversifying the risk should any of the markets face liquidity challenges,” said Nkala.
