Foundation and History

The TLEAZ was formed in June 2019 in response to the need for a relevant body to represent tobacco merchant exporter interests after the significant growth in the crop size and importance as a global supply origin. The TLEAZ’s predecessor the Tobacco Trade Association TTA had become dormant following the decline of the crop to below 50 million kgs in 2008. With the introduction of the contract farming model for smallscale and commercial growers mainly through TLEAZ members, the crop steadily grew to over 250 million kgs in 2018.

The members who formed the TLEAZ recognized the need for a different approach to the new dynamic of contractor, merchant and exporter.

The TLEAZ is a voluntary not for profit Association with the following Objects:

  • To act as a voice for the better protection of the common interests of all Exporters;
  • To represent the interests of Exporters in all dealings of a non-competitive nature with any government, or quasi-governmental or parastatal entity whose activities have an impact on the common interests of Exporters
  • To represent Exporters in dealings with other local and international organisations whose functions either impact on Exporters, or who have a common interest with Exporters as a whole;
  • To assisting in finding solutions to common problems faced by all Exporters including, but not limited to: environmental issues;
  • the regulation of the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe; and
  • To fulfil such other aims and objectives as the Members and/or the Council determine to be ancillary or incidental to any of the objects.

 

It will not be part of the function or objects of the Association to further any of the private commercial objectives of Members, or any group of Members, or to exchange or make use of information of a commercially sensitive nature.

The Founding members were:

  • Boost Hail & Cotton,
  • CTP Tobacco,
  • Curverid Tobacco,
  • Intercontinantal Leaf Tobacco, Mashonaland Tobacco,
  • Northern Tobacco,
  • Premium Leaf Zimbabwe,
  • Tian Ze Tobacco Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco.

These still comprise the membership.

The membership criteria open to tobacco merchants who export more than one million kgs of unmanufactured lamina tobacco per year from 1 April to 31 March. Any qualifying tobacco merchant may apply for membership and subject to appropriate a Due Diligence process will be admitted.

In June 2022 the constitution was amended to include Associate members who are local contracting companies to its members and supply more then two million kgs of green tobacco and contribute positively to the industry. Associate members do not have voting rights. Shasha Tobacco a long-established local tobacco production contracting company and merchant is an Associate member.

The association's normal operating budget is funded from the ordinary levies paid by ordinary members (Associate members do not pay levies) based on the volume of green tobacco purchased directly from tobacco growers. Special levies are raised from ordinary members for specific projects approved by the Council on the same volume basis. The annual accounts of the Association are audited.

The TLEAZ engaged TwentyFifty to carry out a Supply Chain Impact Assessment (SCIA) in 2022 for the Zimbabwe Tobacco industry. TwentyFifity is an international consultant to many major global cigarette manufacturers. This was a major exercise involving all rightsholders and involved workshops, individual member meetings and field visits to 19 tobacco growing districts interviewing 1,603 rights holders. The resulting reports from TwentyFifty to TLEAZ and its members serves as the basis of an Action Plan that is being followed.