National Report

ZIMBABWE’S sugar export­ers could benefit from an El Niño-induced squeeze on global supplies, which could push international prices higher despite indirect risks to lo­cal cane production. The country’s two major sugar producers, Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited, operate large-scale estates and milling facilities in the Lowveld region of Chiredzi. According to investment ana­lysts Inter…

Tapiwa Chirume ZIMBABWE’S construc­tion industry is position­ing itself for significant growth as increased government investment in housing and infrastructure creates op­portunities across the sector, the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) has said. The sector is expected to benefit from increased investment in hous­ing, roads, dams, energy projects and urban renewal, with industry players also looking…

THE government says it will make provision in the 2027 national budget and subsequent budgets to fully activate Zimbabwe’s membership of the New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS. This, the authorities say, is aimed at unlocking financing by meeting membership instalments as they fall due and aligning the payment schedule with the budget cycle. This…

RAINBOW Tourism Group (RTG) plans to add 209 rooms to its existing hotel portfolio over the next 12 months. This hotel expansion is anticipated to anchor its US$100 million reve­nue target by 2028. The hotelier has been improving efficiency across its seven Zimbabwean hotels, includ­ing its latest acquisition, Montclair Resort in Nyanga. The Financial Gazette’s…

THE Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) has called for wider adoption of climate-smart farming practices, including scaling up conservation farming, to help farmers withstand forecast El Niño-induced dry spells. The call comes as the Meteorological Services Department and agricultural authorities have warned of an 88 percent to 94 percent probability of an El…

TIGERE Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) says blue-chip hard­ware tenants are increasingly occu­pying retail space, driven largely by their role in the country’s construction boom. Major real estate funds are active­ly targeting top-tier retail brands such as Electrosales and TM Pick n Pay as stable, long-term blue-chip anchor tenants for commercial hardware and retail properties.…

THE Furniture Industry Development Ini­tiative of Zimbabwe (FIDI Zim) will host the inaugural Zimbabwe Furniture Con­ference and Expo (ZFCX) in Harare next month as part of efforts to promote investment, inno­vation and collaboration within the country’s furniture manufacturing sector. The one-day conference and exhibition is set for the Harare International Conference Cen­tre (HICC) on September…

ADOPTING green tech­nology and sustainable practices is increasingly proving to be a cost-cutting measure while unlocking critical access to financing, indus­try players say. This emerged at the Annual Sus­tainability Breakfast Meeting held in Harare, hosted by the Institute of Sustainability in Africa in partner­ship with the Financial Gazette, under the theme “From Cost Centre to…

THE government plans to expand mineral exploration next year by leveraging technology to grow the country’s resource base and attract fresh investment. In his 2027 Budget Strategy, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said the govern­ment would modernise geological data systems, undertake systematic geological mapping and surveys, and use technology to identify new mineral deposits. “Attention will…