The world's largest food and beverage processing company, Nestle, has embarked on a robust business transformation plan focused on future-proofing its business model in Zimbabwe through import substitution and development of local supply chains.

"To address this, we have embarked on a robust and pragmatic business transformation plan focused on future-proofing our business model in Zimbabwe through import substitution, development of local supply chains and ultimately export growth," Nestle MD for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi operations, Eunice Ganyawu-Magwali, told Standardbusiness.

"To further anchor the business model, we have lined up investments to expand our existing manufacturing capabilities in the categories we lead in and are growing to allow us to optimise on the value that will be created from the development of a secure and stable local supply chain," Ganyawu-Magwali added without giving figures.

As part of its efforts to empower the locals, the company in 2011 launched the Nestlé Dairy Empowerment Scheme (NDES) for commercial farmers' and in 2015 the programme was extended to small-scale farmers.

Under the NDES programme, Nestlé Zimbabwe trains farmers on milk production, agripreneurship, and assists them to establish low-cost models through supporting pasture development and recognising that for a dairy farm model to be sustainable, the cost of supplementary feed must be minimal.