Zimbabwe Tobacco Exports Record Strong Start to the Year

Zimbabwe’s tobacco exports have recorded a strong start to the year, with earnings rising sharply in the first weeks of trading. Latest figures from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that export revenues reached US$233 million by January 16, representing a 182 percent increase from the US$83 million earned during the same period last year.

The Far East remained Zimbabwe’s largest and most lucrative market, both in terms of volume and value. The region imported 20 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth US$189 million, translating to an average price of US$9,26 per kilogramme. Although the Far East accounted for 70 percent of total export volumes, it contributed a higher 81 percent of total export earnings, making it the best-paying destination.

Europe ranked second after purchasing 2,9 million kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$17,8 million, while the European Union (EU) followed in third place, importing 2,1 million kilogrammes worth US$11 million. Average prices stood at US$6,14 per kilogramme for Europe and US$5,41 per kilogramme for the EU, compared to the premium prices offered by the Far East.

Other markets, including Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East, occupied the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions, respectively. Together, these regions bought 3,6 million kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$14,3 million.

Meanwhile, statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) indicate that in November 2025, tobacco exports were valued at US$260,221 million. Tobacco contributed 25 percent of the country’s total export earnings during the month, ranking second after semi-manufactured gold, which accounted for 42 percent.

ZimStat Balance of Payments and Finance Statistics Manager, Ms Mable Chimhore, said tobacco products ranked highly among Zimbabwe’s exports to regional and international markets. She noted that tobacco, whether partly or wholly stemmed, was the second-largest export to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“Among the top ten products exported to SADC in November 2025 were nickel mattes (74,6 percent), tobacco partly or wholly stemmed (4,4 percent), and coke (4,1 percent),” she said, adding that these products accounted for 83 percent of the total export value of US$237,8 million.

Ms Chimhore also highlighted tobacco’s dominance in exports to the European Union, where it made up 68,3 percent of Zimbabwe’s total export value in November 2025. Other key exports to the EU included industrial diamonds (13,2 percent) and ferro-chromium (7,0 percent), collectively contributing 89 percent of exports worth US$28,1 million.

In addition, tobacco ranked second among Zimbabwe’s exports to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The leading exports to AfCFTA markets included nickel mattes (74,4 percent), tobacco (4,7 percent), coke and semi-coke of coal (4,1 percent), and nickel ores (3,9 percent), together accounting for 88 percent of exports valued at US$238,5 million.

Zimbabwe exports a wide range of tobacco products, including flue-cured tobacco, burley, dark-fired, oriental tobacco, and tobacco refuse, in both stemmed and unstemmed forms. The country also exports manufactured tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, smoking tobacco, homogenised tobacco strips, and tobacco extracts.

The TIMB has encouraged investors to take advantage of Zimbabwe’s 17 billion cigarette-stick production capacity, noting that current production stands at about four billion sticks. Increased investment in value addition is expected to help the country achieve its target of 30 percent value addition, as it works towards building a US$60 billion tobacco industry.