{"id":31594,"date":"2026-01-06T13:01:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T03:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=31594"},"modified":"2026-01-06T13:01:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T03:01:46","slug":"zimbabwe-to-double-value-added-timber-production-over-next-5-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/zimbabwe-to-double-value-added-timber-production-over-next-5-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Zimbabwe to Double Value\u2011Added Timber Production Over Next 5 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Zimbabwe wants to ramp up its high\u2011value timber production, pivoting from a predominantly raw\u2011materials exporter to a competitive manufacturer under its new National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which will guide the timber and forestry sector over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government plans a significant expansion of domestic processing capacity for timber, pulp and paper products \u2014 a shift aimed at reducing import dependence and building an export\u2011oriented manufacturing base. Local value addition is expected to rise from about 25 per cent in 2024 to more than 60 per cent by 2030, while domestic production of paper and wood\u2011based goods is projected to meet at least 80 per cent of national demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wood Central understands that the country&#8217;s commercial forestry industry \u2014 concentrated primarily in Manicaland \u2014 is worth several hundred million dollars annually and supplies both domestic markets and regional exports, underscoring the scale of the opportunity the Government seeks to unlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"2S2c-MS_yY4\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OFFICIAL OPENING of a Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory at the Forestry Commision of Zimbabwe. \" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2S2c-MS_yY4?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The new strategy comes after the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe last month opened a new plant tissue culture laboratory &#8211; a key step as the government-controlled forest authority looks to modernise its management of more than 70,000 hectares of forests. Footage courtesy of @forestrycommissionzimbabwe.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the NDS2 framework, Zimbabwe wants to reposition the sector as a driver of industrialisation, job creation and export growth by deepening value addition and strengthening downstream manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The government focuses on furniture, paper and wood-based industrial goods.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the new policy direction marks a decisive shift in how forestry contributes to national development: \u201cDuring NDS2, the Government will revitalise the timber and paper industry from a primarily raw material exporter to a producer of high-value timber products, including furniture, paper and wood-based industrial goods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strategy succeeds the first National Development Strategy (2021\u20132025) and aligns with Vision 2030, which aims to transition the country into an upper\u2011middle\u2011income economy. It places strong emphasis on value addition, export\u2011led growth and green industrialisation across agriculture, mining and manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"Iz5uJGmMv6w\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"President Mnangagwa calls for collective action to drive NDS2 success\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Iz5uJGmMv6w?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Announced by President Mnangagwa last month, NDS2 will see Zimbabwe look to add far more value from its forest resources. Footage courtesy of @ZBC News.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To meet its targets, Minister Ncube said the Government will support investment in modern sawmills, pulp and paper mills and downstream wood\u2011processing industries through affordable financing and public\u2011private partnerships. He said priority will be given to retooling existing facilities, establishing new timber\u2011processing clusters and adopting environmentally sustainable production technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zimbabwe\u2019s timber industry is anchored in Manicaland, home to 70,000 hectares of plantations managed by state\u2011owned Allied Timbers, Wattle Company, Border Timbers, Mutare Board and Paper Mills, alongside several private operators. Allied Timbers \u2014 the most significant player \u2014 operates more than 10 estates across Manicaland, the Midlands and Matabeleland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minister Ncube said micro, small and medium enterprises will also be integrated into the timber and paper value chains to support inclusive growth. \u201cThe Government plans to support furniture manufacturing, woodcraft and other downstream wood-based industries, while common facility centres and shared processing infrastructure will be developed to enhance efficiency, technology access and skills upgrading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Economic analyst Mr Walter Mapfumo said the NDS2&#8217;s focus on modernising the timber value chain could strengthen competitiveness and boost exports. \u201cFacilitating investment in modern sawmills and pulp and paper mills, supported by affordable financing and public-private partnerships, addresses long-standing capacity and efficiency gaps,\u201d he said, adding that \u201cretooling existing facilities and establishing timber\u2011processing clusters could lower production costs, improve product quality and create stronger linkages with downstream industries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zimbabwe wants to ramp up its high\u2011value timber production, pivoting from a predominantly raw\u2011materials exporter to a competitive manufacturer under its new National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which will guide the timber and forestry sector over the next five years. The Government plans a significant expansion of domestic processing capacity for timber, pulp and paper [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[80,37,33,2,32,46,31],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-31594","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"category-building-and-construction","9":"category-editors-picks","10":"category-featured","11":"category-global-news","12":"category-industry","13":"category-top-stories"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31594"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31597,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31594\/revisions\/31597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31594"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=31594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}