The Zimbabwean Government has pitched a US$1.42 billion investment opportunity to a visiting Danish business delegation, targeting the country’s agricultural value chains with the aim of achieving a one million tonne maize surplus by 2030.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, led the engagement in Harare, where he outlined several government-backed models aimed at attracting private sector investment. These include initiatives like NEAPS, the Irrigation Development Alliance Model, the Mechanisation Alliance Model, and the Vision 2030 Accelerator Model.

Haritatos highlighted that agriculture remains central to Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing up to 17% of GDP and employing 60-70% of the population. However, with climate change affecting yields, the Government is prioritising climate-smart farming, irrigation, and mechanisation.

The targeted investment will support key value chains in maize, soyabean, sunflower, blueberries, poultry, beef and dairy. Over US$1 billion is needed for maize, soyabean and broiler projects alone.

To attract investors, Zimbabwe is offering incentives such as tax breaks in Special Economic Zones, duty rebates on capital equipment, 100% foreign ownership, and VAT exemptions on farming inputs and machinery.

Haritatos also pointed to Zimbabwe’s agricultural potential, with 33.3 million hectares of arable land, over 10,000 dams, and a rapidly growing blueberry sector already exporting to China and eyeing India.

The Danish delegation, led by Zimbabwean-born Florence Charamba Christensen of Afrika Consultancy, included leading companies in grain processing, poultry, renewable energy, milling, and sustainable farming.

Cimbria and Engsko, among others, expressed interest, with Cimbria highlighting its long history in Zimbabwe and ongoing partnerships with companies like Seed Co.

Zimbabwe’s Gold (ZWG) currency registered a slight improvement on the inflation front in September, with month-on-month inflation easing to –0.2%, according to figures released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) on Monday. The decline has raised expectations that annual inflation—still running at high double-digit levels—could gradually fall as the year closes.

Data shows the ZWG has held firm against the US dollar since September 2024, when it last experienced a major depreciation.

“The month-on-month inflation rate for September 2025 stood at –0.2%, down from 0.4% recorded in August, reflecting an average 0.2% drop in consumer prices,” Zimstat noted.

Breaking down the figures, Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages posted a 0.2% month-on-month rise in September, reversing a –0.1% decline in August. Non-food inflation, however, dropped sharply to –0.5% from 0.6% in the previous month.

On a year-to-year basis, inflation remains high. “Annual ZWG inflation for September 2025 was 82.7%, meaning prices were on average 82.7% higher compared to the same month in 2024,” Zimstat added.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) continues to enforce a strict monetary policy stance to preserve the stability of the ZiG currency, introduced in April 2024. Measures have included maintaining an elevated policy interest rate to discourage speculative borrowing and keep inflation and exchange rates in check.

Meanwhile, inflation measured in US dollars was unchanged at 0% month-on-month for September 2025, while the year-on-year figure stood at 13.4%.

In terms of poverty thresholds, Zimstat said the Food Poverty Line (FPL) for one individual in September was ZWG 877.03, while the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL)—covering both food and non-food essentials—was ZWG 1,292.80.

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Biodiesel production in Zimbabwe is set for a major leap, with daily output expected to climb from 3,000 litres to 75,000 litres following the expansion of Finealt Engineering’s processing plant in Mutoko.

The development is being hailed as a milestone in the Second Republic’s rural industrialisation and modernisation agenda.

Finealt Engineering, a Government-supported enterprise operating under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, has been producing diesel from jatropha seeds for years. With the upgraded facility now in place, the company says it is ready to ramp up production, pending ZESA’s upgrade of the local power supply grid.

“We have installed all the necessary equipment, and we are simply waiting for ZESA to enhance the electricity supply so that full-scale operations can commence,” said acting chief executive Patrick Mpala.

The expanded plant will not only create employment but also guarantee a steady market for farmers supplying jatropha, sunflower, and other oilseeds. Finealt is already working on a 3,000-hectare jatropha plantation in Mudzi, with potential expansion to 6,000 hectares. However, Mpala stressed that the company will continue purchasing seed from smallholder farmers to keep communities actively engaged in the value chain.

The biodiesel produced is intended to replace imported petroleum diesel, with applications ranging from powering vehicles and agricultural machinery to serving as a cleaner, non-toxic solvent and lubricant.

Beyond biodiesel, Finealt Engineering has diversified into related industries. The company now manufactures cooking oil, soaps, detergents, and other bio-products. Leveraging sunflower production in Mudzi, the firm processes around 20 tonnes of seed daily, yielding more than 5,000 litres of cooking oil supplied to shops in Mutoko, Marondera, and Bindura.

A newly installed soap plant produces about 500 one-kilogram bars per hour or up to 2,000 tablets hourly. Detergents such as dishwashing liquid, toilet cleaner, and car wash solutions are also being rolled out, with strong uptake from local consumers.

Finealt has employed 69 people at the Mutoko site, with locals prioritised for job opportunities. A new plant is also being established in Chirumhanzu, Midlands Province, focused on cooking oil and stock feed production.

To cushion against power cuts, the company is planning to build a solar energy facility and has already drilled four solar-powered boreholes, which also benefit nearby communities.

The idea of using jatropha for biodiesel dates back to the early 2000s, but Finealt Engineering has emerged as a key player in translating the concept into practical output. The initiative aligns with President Mnangagwa’s call for “home-grown solutions” aimed at reducing imports and strengthening local industries in food, fuel, and household products.