Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Beverages manufacturer Delta Corporation has called for increased government support to stabilise sugar supplies and lower production costs.
Speaking during a briefing with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce on Tuesday, Delta Corporation’s Finance Director, Alex Makamure, outlined the operational challenges currently hampering the sector. He said:
The Delta soft drinks business operates under The Coca-Cola Company, which defines quality specifications under the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis.
The main suppliers of refined sugar are StarAfrica (Goldstar Sugars) and Tongaat Hullets (Hippo Valley and Triangle). Over the years they have failed to meet the quantity and quality requirements.
Given these challenges, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has agreed with the bottlers that they be allowed to supplement their requirements from imports.
However, sugar remains on the list of controlled imports and is subject to a protective duty of US$100 per tonne—a cost the industry says drives up pricing pressures.
Makamure added that the introduction of the sugar tax in February 2024 triggered price increases of between 15% and 45%, particularly for high-sugar products like Mazoe Orange Crush. Said Makamure:
Prices of Sugar added on soft drinks increased by 15 % to 45 % following the introduction of the tax in February 2024.
The highest increase were on cordial such as Mazoe Orange Crush.
The process of cordials have been moderated since January 2025 after the surtax was halved to 0.0005/g.
In response, Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce Chairperson Clemence Chiduwa urged Delta Corporation and other industry players to enhance collaboration with local sugar producers in order to build sustainable supply chains.
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