eBusiness Weekly
Enacy Mapakame
The brand “Tanganda” has become one of the strongest in Zimbabwe, so deeply-rooted that in some cases, every tea is just referred to as Tanganda.
There is a constituency though that at the mention of the brand Tanganda, do not think about tea leaves.
The brand reminds them of Tanganda Football Club and how the team provided good sporting entertainment in the 1990s with the likes of Lloyd Mutasa.
These have a strong nostalgia for the past, imagining how the return of such a team would add value to today’s football.
Sadly, there are no such plans.
Tanganda Tea has not abandoned its support for sport but has set eyes on other activities.
Chairman James Ward, said the group would continue to promote wellness in the country through supporting sporting activities such as its annual Tanganda Half Marathon and bicycle race in Mutare.
“We have discussed it at board level, we as management of the company we feel that we do not have enough money to run a football business at that level.
“We support other sport events in the country, we do Tanganda Tea marathon and bicycle racing in Mutare. We are at every sporting event with our Tingamira water,” said Ward in an interview.
The Tanganda Half Marathon attracts top athletes. The race once took a break in 2004 before its return in 2012.
Upon its return in 2012, Wirimai Zhuwawo won the men’s 21km main event after a one hour, two minutes 42 seconds to win the race.
But the group’s interest in football did not go down with Tanganda FC’s demise.
In Chipinge, which is home to its estates, Tanganda runs football business among its estates and the surrounding communities.
“But we have a big football business going on between our five estates and the local communities,” said Ward.
Three of the estates are within 30km of Chipinge town while the other two are in the Mt Selinda area.
Tanganda Tea Company is the country’s biggest producer of tea and also with interests in coffee, avocado and macadamia nuts production.
