A company linked to businessman Simon Rudland, Orangeville, has unveiled a US$25 million juicing plant in Beitbridge that will supply clients, including Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited, while boosting economic activity in the southern border town.

The development comes after the tobacco entrepreneur recently commissioned his US$102 million Cut Rag Processors (CRP) manufacturing plant in Aspindale, Harare, further cementing his position as one of Zimbabwe's leading private investors.

"Government stands ready to facilitate investments into Matabeleland South Province. I am not only pleased that Orangeville has made significant commitments to boost the province's economic growth, but also that it is producing enough citrus products to satisfy both domestic and regional demand, while contributing to the national gross domestic product as we move towards Zimbabwe's upper-middle-income economy by 2030," said the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe, during a familiarisation tour earlier this week.

"Export figures will become more significant as the company grows," he added.

Nguluvhe said that to secure raw materials, the company is developing a 5,000-hectare plantation nearby, alongside contract farming operations, to stabilise supplies during lean or off-season periods and mitigate rising input costs, including transport.

Orangeville aims to increase its workforce to about 1,500 employees within five years from the current 350, with employment levels expected to fluctuate depending on harvesting cycles. The company also plans to increase its total investment to US$40 million while expanding into value-added products such as orange essential oils for the cosmetics industry and livestock feed produced from processed citrus residue to minimise waste.

The Beitbridge plant ranks among Zimbabwe's largest recent private-sector investments and adds to Rudland's growing manufacturing portfolio following the commissioning of the CRP facility. The investment is expected to create jobs while strengthening the country's export earnings.

Over the past three decades, the Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation founder has built a diversified business portfolio spanning manufacturing, agriculture, finance, logistics and mining. Collectively, these businesses employ more than 10,000 people across the region.

Beyond Zimbabwe, Rudland has also established significant investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo's agriculture and mining sectors, banking, and other strategic commercial interests across several African markets.

His CRP plant, comprising both primary and secondary production lines, is capable of processing 60,000 cigarette master cases and three million kilogrammes of export cut rag per month. The facility aligns with Harare's US$5 billion tobacco value chain transformation plan, which is focused on beneficiation and the production of value-added tobacco products.

Through determination, resilience and a strong belief in African enterprise, the 55-year-old businessman is widely regarded as one of the driving forces behind Zimbabwe's logistics sector, having established one of the country's most efficient transport networks. His entrepreneurial footprint continues to extend across multiple sectors throughout the African continent.