The numbers behind the industry
Zimbabwe is the fifth-largest sugar producer on the African continent, and the Lowveld is recognised globally as one of the most competitive sugar-producing regions, sometimes described as the lowest-cost producer in the SADC region.
Capacity, yield, and energy
The full data set for milling, refining, energy generation, and area under cane.
What the figures tell us
Sugar cane production registered 1.4% growth from 6.62 million to 6.71 million tonnes in the 2024/25 season. Total industry sugar production for 2024/25 is forecast to reach 232,482 tonnes, a 4.56% increase year-on-year.
The Second Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy (AFSRTS-2) projects cane output could climb to 8.3 million tonnes by 2030, supported by rehabilitation programmes for private farmers and new estate development such as Project Kilimanjaro.
A sugar tax was introduced in 2024 at US$0.0010 per gramme. It was halved in the 2025 National Budget to US$0.0005, offering some relief to beverage manufacturers. Read more about it on the trade and exports page.
The sugar industry is the largest private sector employer in Zimbabwe with over 14,700 employees. The 100 tonne per hectare yield is approximately 1.6 times the African continental average of 63 tonnes per hectare. The conditions that make this possible are explored on the sugarcane growing page.
Data summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Sugarcane produced (2024/25) | 6.71 million tonnes |
| Sugar produced (2024/25) | 232,482 tonnes |
| YoY growth | 4.56% |
| Installed milling capacity | 640,000+ tonnes |
| Cane crushing capacity | 4.8 million tonnes / year |
| Refining capacity | 140,000 tonnes / year |
| Average cane yield | 100 t/ha (Africa avg: 63 t/ha) |
| Cane-to-sugar ratio | 8:1 (Hippo Valley) |
| Bagasse cogeneration | Up to 30 MW |
| Annual ethanol output (Triangle) | 30 million litres |
| Total area under cane | approximately 44,500 hectares |
| 2030 cane output target | 8.3 million tonnes |