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184
Commerce, Trade and Industry
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Investment opportunities in the manufacturing sec-
tor are presently centred around the production of
engineered products and agro-processing, which
include crops such as tobacco, coffee, tea, soy
beans, maize, sunflower and cottonseed. Another
particular area of interest is the recycling of waste
and the production of steel suitable for manufactur-
ing equipment.
Opportunities are available in the following priority
areas, which also attract fiscal incentives:
•Agro-processing, including fertilizers, soil condi-
tioners, pesticides and herbicides
•Processing of food, beverages and forest products
•Cotton yarn, fabric and garments
•Leather and leather products
•Wood and wood products, paper products and
packaging
•Processing of metals, including the smelting and
refining of copper
•Machinery, iron and steel products
•Electrical and electronic products, including ICT
and transport equipment
•Processing and polishing of gemstones and jewel-
lery making
•Plastic, glass and rubber products
•Pharmaceuticals and related products
•Professional medical and scientific products and
measuring devices
•Chemicals and petrochemicals
•Cement and explosives
Maize storage after a bumper harvest year
Official visits to the flourishing banana plantations
Processed and Refined Foods and Beverages
One of the most successful subsectors in the manu-
facturing industry, food processing and refining, cov-
ers both large and small-scale industries. The pre-
mier export earner in this sector is the sugar industry,
with other important industries involved in grain mill-
ing (both maize and wheat), carbonated soft drink
production, clear and opaque beer brewing and the
production of cooking oil.
The growing and processing of oilseed is becoming
increasingly important, and the production of seed
oil has been stepped up in view of the current high
demand on the local market.
Adding value to locally produced products, the agro-
processing sector is a key link to primary sectors like
agriculture. Crops such as tobacco, coffee, tea, soy
beans and maize require large processing plants to
be made into finished commodities that have more
value added to them, while import substitution for
edible oils such as butter, margarine, sunflower and
cottonseed also offers attractive opportunities for in-
vestment.
Fresh produce currently being processed includes
tomatoes, beans, pineapples, sweet corn, onions
and mangoes, among others. The production of trop-
ical fruit juice through the processing of locally grown
tangerines, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, papaya,
guavas and bananas, are other potentially lucra-
tive opportunities. Such products have penetrated
regional markets, such as Zimbabwe, Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Africa, as well
as European markets.
Small-scale agro-processing is considered a prior-
ity in regards to supplying the domestic market, with
farmers able to increase the value of their produce
by processing at the farm level. While large-scale
processing facilities are usually limited to urban
centres, creating employment only in those areas,
small-scale industries are able to provide services
and employment in rural areas.
With small-scale processing, transaction costs are