National Foods launches State-of-the-Art production plant: President Mnangagwa champions industrial growth and food sovereignty
By Tinashe Mukori | Harare, May 29, 2025
In a watershed occasion marking a new chapter in Zimbabwe’s agro-industrial transformation, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa today commissioned a trio of high-tech production lines at National Foods in Harare. The new facilities – for breakfast cereals, biscuits, and pasta, represent a combined investment of over US$13 million and are poised to significantly reduce food imports while supporting local agriculture.
Addressing an audience of industry leaders, government officials, and business stakeholders, President Mnangagwa lauded the commissioning as a bold stride toward economic resilience and national food sovereignty.
“This facility stands as a testament to National Foods’ unwavering commitment to our national agenda,” said the President. “It demonstrates corporate foresight and an alignment with the Government’s vision of an industrialised, self-reliant Zimbabwe.”
The breakfast cereal plant, with a monthly capacity of 800 tonnes, will utilise approximately 15,000 tonnes of maize annually. This, the President noted, will not only provide Zimbabweans with fortified, high-quality cereals but also invigorate local maize farming and reduce the country’s dependency on imported cereals.
The biscuit production line, described by Cde Mnangagwa as “one of the most advanced in Zimbabwe,” will produce up to 1,300 tonnes of biscuits per month using cutting-edge technology. The President underscored its potential for job creation and skills development, both vital elements of inclusive growth.
Equally significant is the US$6 million pasta line, established to bridge a critical import gap. With Zimbabwe consuming around 5,000 tonnes of pasta monthly – much of it previously imported – the plant will initially produce 1,200 tonnes of short-cut pasta per month, consuming 1,500 tonnes of local wheat in the process.
“I applaud the fact that Zimbabwe has now attained self-sufficiency in wheat production,”President Mnangagwa remarked. “This pasta plant is a strategic response to market demand and a celebration of our agricultural achievements.”
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to enabling a conducive business environment, the President urged National Foods to expand its operations and exports, which already reach Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. He encouraged the group to deepen regional integration and strengthen Zimbabwe’s economic diplomacy.
“These plants symbolise the spirit of Zimbabwe – innovative, resourceful, and forward-looking,”Cde Mnangagwa declared. “With partnerships, resilience, and Government support, we will continue to build a modern, competitive food industry aligned with our Vision 2030.”
The Head of State expressed gratitude to investors, the private sector, and farmers, whose collective efforts made the new installations possible. He reiterated that local content, value addition, and food security remain central to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation.
“With these investments, we are not just producing food – we are producing a future,” President Mnangagwa concluded, officially commissioning the new plants. “Let us grow what we eat, eat what we grow, and march together toward a prosperous Zimbabwe.”
As the ribbon was cut and machinery powered into motion, the event marked more than just an expansion for National Foods. It signalled Zimbabwe’s accelerating momentum toward agro-industrial excellence and a more sustainable, self-reliant economic future.
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