Sugar
ZAMBIA SUGAR KEY FIGURES
| 2024 Production Record | 2025 Sales Revenue Record | Direct Employees | Production Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 425,531 tonnes | K8.897 billion | 7,555 | Over 450,000 tonnes/year |
Zambia Sugar Plc, the largest single-mill cane sugar producer in Africa, recorded 425,531 tonnes of sugar production and 400,631 tonnes of sugar sales in 2024, both company records, alongside a 2025 sales revenue record of K8.897 billion.
Established in 1964 and based at the Nakambala Sugar Estate in Mazabuka, the company is 75% owned by ABF Sugar with the balance held by institutional and private investors, and is the largest employer in Southern Province with 7,555 direct employees and 4,774 indirect employees, plus an outgrower scheme of 379 smallholder and 24 commercial farmers employing a further 3,885 people.
Company Profile
Zambia Sugar Plc, the largest single-mill cane sugar producer in Africa, was established in 1964 and is listed on the Lusaka Securities Exchange, with 75% of its shares held by ABF Sugar and the balance held by institutional and private investors[1]. The company operates from the Nakambala Sugar Estate in Mazabuka, Southern Province, producing sugar and sugar products under the Whitespoon brand, including direct-consumption sugar fortified with Vitamin A, brown and household sugar, refined sugar for industrial customers, syrup, specialty sugars and molasses for both local and export markets[1].
Production and Financial Records
Sugar production reached a company record of 425,531 tonnes in 2024, with sugar sales also reaching a record 400,631 tonnes, of which 320,419 tonnes were domestic sales, itself a record[1]. Sales revenue reached a record K8.897 billion in 2025[1]. The company has installed production capacity of over 450,000 tonnes of sugar per annum and generates 40 megawatts of power through bagasse co-generation[1].
Employment and Community Role
Zambia Sugar is the largest employer in Southern Province, with 7,555 direct employees and over 4,774 indirect employees, while its outgrower scheme, comprising 379 smallholder farmers across three schemes and 24 commercial farmers, employs a further 3,885 people[1]. The company also supplies 8,000,000 litres of bulk water daily directly to residents of Mazabuka district and owns a housing estate of more than 3,000 households[1]. On the Lusaka Securities Exchange, Zambia Sugar crossed a USD 1 billion market capitalisation in January 2026, one of the exchange’s few billion-dollar listed companies[2].
Investment Opportunities
The gap between Zambia Sugar’s 2024 production record of 425,531 tonnes and its installed capacity of over 450,000 tonnes per annum indicates room to grow output within existing infrastructure, while its outgrower scheme structure offers a template for smallholder integration into large-scale agro-processing that other Zambian crops could draw on, detailed further alongside the company’s listing on the dedicated Capital Markets page[1][2].
Last Update: September 2026
