South Africa looks to Zimbabwe’s ethanol model as biofuel gains strategic importance

South Africa is looking to draw lessons from Zimbabwe’s ethanol blending programme as it seeks to reduce dependence on imported fuel and shield its economy from rising energy costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The interest emerged during a bilateral meeting between Zimbabwe’s Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka and South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen ahead of a planned Bi-National Commission meeting scheduled for next month, Herald Online reported.

Speaking after the discussions, Steenhuisen said Zimbabwe has made significant progress in developing biofuels and ethanol-blended fuels, an area where South Africa has fallen behind. He noted that Pretoria is now accelerating efforts to expand its own biofuel programme to help lower production costs for farmers and reduce reliance on conventional fuels.

According to Steenhuisen, Zimbabwe’s experience in ethanol production and fuel blending offers valuable insights at a time when global fuel and fertiliser markets are facing disruptions caused by conflicts and instability in the Middle East.

Zimbabwe has already implemented petrol blending with ethanol and is positioning the sugarcane sector to play a larger role in the country’s energy mix.

Masuka said Zimbabwe is reshaping its sugar industry strategy by increasing the focus on ethanol production from sugarcane. The country currently produces about 155 million litres of ethanol annually and has set a target of raising output to 600 million litres per year by 2035.

He said South Africa has shown interest in understanding Zimbabwe’s experience with ethanol blending, including the implementation of E20 fuel, which contains 20 percent ethanol.

The ministers also discussed broader regional challenges affecting agriculture, including outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease across Southern Africa, fertiliser supply concerns and rising fuel costs.

Steenhuisen said both countries are keen to strengthen cooperation on controlling foot-and-mouth disease, which has affected 11 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He added that enhanced collaboration could support livestock trade and improve disease management across borders.

Masuka said Zimbabwe and South Africa are working to finalise several agreements ahead of the Bi-National Commission meeting, including measures related to agriculture, trade and animal health.

The upcoming talks are expected to deepen cooperation between the two countries, with biofuels and ethanol emerging as key areas of collaboration as governments seek to reduce exposure to volatile global oil markets while creating new opportunities for the sugarcane sector.