Market Brief Focus on the Manicaland Market© - ZimTrade

<strong>Market</strong> <strong>Brief</strong>
<strong>Focus</strong> on the Manicaland <strong>Market</strong>©
Last Updated February 2011
Compiled by T. Saungweme

Introduction and general information about Manicaland
Location
Map of Zimbabwe with the Manicaland province highlighted.

Surface Area and Population
Manicaland has an area of 36,459 km² and a population of approximately 1.6 million (2002).
Provincial Administration (Manicaland Districts)
The province is subdivided into seven districts, Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Makoni,
Mutare, Mutasa and Nyanga. Mutare is the capital of the province.
a. Buhera district
• Buhera district is about 82 km south east of Chivhu.
• It serves as the administrative and commercial centre for the Sabi communal lands-
Sabi the lowest point above sea level in Zimbabwe.
• Buhera is linked by the main road from Harare to Chipinge linking Chivhu and
Chipinge passing through Murambinda detouring Bedza Mountain.

• Buhera's economy depends mainly on farming, the main crops being maize, millet,
sorghum, rapoko, roundnuts and groundnuts. Cattle ranching is also a major
agricultural activity in the district.
• Phosphate – mined at Dorowa, is a major mining activity in the district. Fishing
activities are also common along the Sabi River.
b. Chimanimani District
• Chimanimani is a mountainous area which lies on Zimbabwe's eastern border,
south of Mutare.
• The region is distinguished by large peaks, carved from a rifted quartzite block.
• Close to the town are the scenic Bridal Veil Falls and Chirinda forest. The area
produces pine apples, bananas, peas, cotton.
• Chimanimani district is also known for its diamond and gold deposits.
c. Chipinge District
• Chipinge town lies in a valley in the southern Eastern Highlands.
• Birchenough Bridge is located on the Sabi River 62 km from Chipinge.
• The hot climate and high rainfalls is well suited to agriculture and the local
farmers grow tea in Tanganda, coffee, bananas and macadamia nuts.
• The surrounding mountain slopes are covered with pine and wattle plantations.
• Dairy farming in Southdowns is also the main farming activity in the area which
has prompted the establishment of cheese and other dairy products processing
factories in the town.
d. Mutare Districts
• Mutare is the provincial and commercial capital of Manicaland province. It is the
investment hub of the province which houses major agro-processing industries
like Border Timbers, Cairns Foods, Tanganda Tea Company, Forestry
Commission, Mutare Board & Paper Mills, Wattle Company and Karina Textiles.
• Quest Motors, Zimbabwe’s second car assembly after Willowvale Motor
Industries of Zimbabwe, is also domiciled in Mutare as well as Feruka Oil
Refinery, the only oil refinery plant in Zimbabwe.
• Mutare is Zimbabwe’s gateway to the sea through the Beira corridor.
• The main agricultural outputs include fruits and vegetables, dairy farming,
forestry, maize, bananas, pineapples, tobacco, peaches, tea, beans, etc) and food
and timber processing activities
• The district is also known for its mining activities such as diamond mining in
Chiadzwa and Quarrying in Zimunya. Alluvial gold panning is also common
along the Odzi River.
• Mutare district is awash with several eye-catching scenic views which are both
refreshing and breath-taking. The main tourist attraction areas are:
Vumba Botanic Gardens and Mountains
Leopard Rock Hotel
Prince of Wales View

e. Mutasa District
Cecil Kopje Game Reserve
• The district is known for horticulture and market gardening. The main products
being yams, bananas, fruits (avocados, plums, leeches), tea, ginger, carrots, etc
• It is known for gold mining at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga
• It is also Zimbabwe’s home for Zimbabwe Forestry College and Wattle
Company’s processing plant at Selbourne.
• Africa University, Zimbabwe’s only university that specializes more in Agro-
Sciences.
f. Nyanga
• Nyanga lies to the north of Manicaland.
• The area is well known for its horticultural products (such as flowers, apples, pine
apples, garlic, potatoes, bananas, oranges, avocado pears, etc), timber (wattle,
gums trees, pine trees, Cyprus trees, etc) and tourist attracting areas (such as
hotels- Montclair Casino Hotel, Troutbek Inn; Falls – Mutarazi Falls; high places-
World’s View), gorges – Pungwe gorge Zimbabwe’s potential site for hydroelectric
power generation site.
EXPORTABLE PRODUCTS FROM THE PROVINCE AND MAIN COUNTRIES OF
DESTINATIONS
i. Agricultural products
Product Location Main Producers <strong>Market</strong>
destinations
Flowers Nyanga, Mutare (Vumba) Jack Hurley, Brown Hurley Europe Union
Dairy
Chipinge, Mutasa (Old Dairi Steri (Chipinge)
Local
Mutare), isolated farms in
Vumba
Beef Mutare, Buhera Commercial farmers EU, Asia
Tobacco Mutare (Burma Valley) Asia, EU, USA,
regional markets
Beans (Soya & Sweet) Chimanimani (near Hot
Spring), Vumba)
Cashel Valley, Border Streams Local
Tea/Coffee Nyanga, Vumba,
Chimanimani, Chipinge
Timber
Nyanga, Mutare (Vumba,
Odzi) Chimanimani
ARDA (Katiyo), Aberforyle Tea
Estate, Makandi Tea and Coffee
Pvt Ltd
• Agricultural & Rural
development Authority
(ARDA) – Kairezi Estate
• Border Timbers
• Mutare Border Paper
Mills
• Wattle Co. Ltd
• PG Timbers
• Forestry Commission
Mozambique
Local
Local
Regional:
Zambia
South Africa
Botswana
Malawi
Mozambique

• Nyanga Pine Company
• Bushmill P/L
• Bvumba Plantations
• ChimaniWood P/L
• Highpoint Estates P/L
• Hunyani Forests Ltd
• Troutbek Sun
• Troutbek Timbers
• Whitebedge Enteprises
P/L
• Zimpala Sawmill/ Somera
Plantations
Bananas, pine apples, Burma
Valley, Matanuska, Forrester Estate (Pvt)
and Oranges
Chimanimani (Rusitu Ltd Manicaland
Valley), Nyanga, Mutasa,
Chipinge
Cotton & cotton lint Buhera Cotton Company Mutare, Karina
Textiles
Other fruits – apples, Nyanga, Vumba,
granadilla, pineapples, Chimanimani
peaches, oranges,
avocado pears, pears,
leaches, plums, etc
Macademia nuts Chipinge Forrester Estate (Pvt) Ltd
Manicaland
Australia, Asia, EU
(Germany)
Local
Regional markets
EU, Asia
ii.
Arts & Crafts
Activity Source Areas <strong>Market</strong> destinations
Wood sculpturing Birchenough Bridge, Nyanyadzi, Zimunya • Zambia
• China
Stone sculpturing Scattered areas in Manicaland
• EU (especially Germany,
Switzerland)
• Canada
iii.
Mining
Product Location Main Producers
Diamond Chiadzwa, Mutare, ZMDC
Chimanimani,
Chipinge,
Gold Mutasa (Penhalonga Independent mining
– Redwing Mine) group, redwing mine,
Phosphate Buhera Dorowa mine
Quarrying Mutare & Jobert Crushers
Chimanimani

Note that diamonds and gold are controlled by the Zimbabwe Mining Development
Cooperation. The diamonds are being sold through auction. Of Recent, the Chiadzwa
diamond is now certified under the Kimberly Process.
iv.
Tourist attraction areas
The province is heavily endowed with natural resources such as natural vegetation,
waterfalls, mountains, springs, wild life, gorges and experiences relatively cool temperatures.
Area of Attraction
Major mountains
Waterfalls
Gorges
Springs
Hotel
Wildlife
Industry
Places
The highest peak in the country is in Nyanga. Other high places are the
Vumba Mountains, Chimanimani Mountains
Mutarazi in Nyanga
Spectacular gorges along the Mutarazi and Kairezi rivers in Nyanga
Nyanyadzi Hot Springs
Leopard Rock, Montclair Casino, Troutbeck Inn, Botanic Gardens and
Bunga Forest in Vumba
Game parks - Cecil Kopje Nature Reserve
Feruka Oil Refinery –the only petroleum refinery plant in Zimbabwe
Quest Motors is one of the only two vehicle assembling companies in
the country
Mutare, Zimbabwe’s gateway to the sea – rail, road, pipeline link to Beira.
AREAS OF POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS
Timber processing companies
Tobacco processing companies
Horticultural produce processing companies
Freight service providers
Tourist attracting facilities: accommodation, sports, etc
Infrastructure Construction – residential, industrial, roads, etc
Mining – quarrying, diamond
Vehicle Assembling – making use of the Beira port to access world markets
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