Zimbabwe Raises the Bar as Mnangagwa Commissions Giant Tobacco Plant

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed the commissioning of a massive new expansion at Cut Rag Processors as a clear signal of Zimbabwe’s accelerating industrial rebound, saying the investment positions the country as a serious player in high-value tobacco manufacturing.

The multi-million-dollar facility — now the largest tobacco processing plant on the continent — has the capacity to process up to 12 000 cigarettes per minute, a leap expected to dramatically increase local production of cut rag and finished cigarettes.

The development comes on the back of Zimbabwe’s record-breaking 355 million kilogrammes of tobacco produced in 2025, valued at US$1.2 billion, reinforcing the country’s status as the world’s sixth-largest producer of the golden leaf.

Mnangagwa said the new plant was a direct result of his administration’s economic and industrialisation drive.

“This occasion demonstrates Zimbabwe’s on-going industrial resurgence and a testament that ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’,” he said, adding that the investment fits squarely within the national goal to shift from exporting raw materials to exporting finished goods.

He said the state-of-the-art facility would significantly boost Zimbabwe’s capacity to retain value locally.
“This remarkable capacity is set to consolidate Zimbabwe’s self-sufficiency in tobacco manufacturing and position us as an emerging exporter of high-value, finished tobacco products,” Mnangagwa added.

Cut Rag Processors — established in 2000 as the country’s first independent cut rag manufacturer — is owned by businessman Simon Rudland. The latest US$100 million expansion is equipped with advanced German and Italian technology and is expected to create hundreds of new jobs across processing, packaging, logistics and engineering.

General manager Lesley Malunga said the investment was about ensuring Zimbabwe captures more value from its globally competitive crop.
“This expansion is not just about volume; it’s about value capture,” he said. “Instead of exporting container loads of raw tobacco, we can now ship refined, packaged cut rag and finished cigarettes — meaning more revenue stays within Zimbabwe.”

Mnangagwa linked the company’s growth to wider economic reforms aimed at strengthening the ease of doing business.
“We are determined to ensure that no investment is hindered by bureaucratic red tape,” he said, noting that the tobacco sector now supports more than 160 000 households nationwide.

He also applauded the company’s sustainability measures, including the use of biomass energy from timber waste, describing it as an example of responsible modern manufacturing.

Cut Rag Processors is eyeing new export markets, particularly in Asia, as Zimbabwe pushes to evolve from a raw leaf exporter into a competitive global supplier of premium tobacco products.

The tobacco industry remains one of Zimbabwe’s biggest foreign currency earners, contributing over a quarter of national export revenues.