eBusiness Weekly
Bernard Yombayomba
Zimbabwe exported 12 249 tonnes of tea in 2017 valued at $21,4 million, according to official statistics.
Tea exports in Zimbabwe represent 0,3 percent of world exports for this product and its international export ranking is 32.
From 2010 to 2015, tea production rose 2,4 percent and dropped by a minimum of 1,8 percent in 2016 to 2017.
South Africa was the top consumer of Zimbabwean tea in 2017, according to data analysed by The Business Weekly from International Trade Council’s Trade Map. The neighbouring country imported the largest share of Zimbabwe’s tea valued at $5,7 million that amounts to 4 288 tonnes at a market share of 26,9 percent. Currently, the bulk of tea is produced in the Eastern Highlands by The Tanganda Tea Company Limited Zimbabwe.
Some of the tea estates owned by Tanganda include Zona Tea Estate, Ratelshoek Tea Estate and New year’s gift Tea Estate.
Most of the local tea products in Zimbabwe are produced locally by Tanganda and its operational strength capacitates it to be able to reach export market sufficiently. Listed entity Ariston is also another producer of tea.
Tanganda produces a variety of tea brands and these comprise of Tanganda Tea, Joko, Tips, Three Leaves, Stella Tea, Silver Tea, Fresh Leaves Tea, Early Grey Tea and Tanganda Health Green Tea among other products. This brings Zimbabwe to self-reliance in tea production to the extent that tea imports are very low as the market is flooded by locally produced tea.
The United Kingdom, United States of America and Russia are some of Zimbabwe’s major tea importers according to the available data for the year 2017.
The UK imported of 1 854 tonnes of tea valued at $3,5 million and making up a 16,5 percent market share, profiling it as a frequent customer of Zimbabwe’s tea exports.
Closer to that is Russia, which exported tea worth $3,4 million with a 16,3 percent market share. Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique are the other African nations that appeared consistent in importing Zimbabwean tea in the year 2017. However, among these three African countries, Zambia is the leading tea importer of Zimbabwe’s exports with a value of $997 000 having imported 493 tonnes.
