Q&A with speakers

• Maie Jiti, the founder and incumbent president of the Zimbabwe Integrated
• Commercial Farmers Union (ZICFU) and a commercial farmer.
• She is one of the biggest tobacco producers and other crops. In 1999 she resigned from her teaching job to take on full time farming
• The Vice Chairperson of the Marondera Show Society and a member of the Harare Agricultural Show Society.
• In 2006, she penetrated in the United Kingdom market and exported tonnes and tonnes of horticulture products
• In 2007 she won an international gold award for the best quality producer
• of fruits and vegetables, that was presented in France and several local show awards.
• A member of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA)
• 2023 she participated on the SADC
• She participated in 2024 SADC Capacity building of small scale farmers
• on compliance with sanitary and Phytosanitary measures focusing on food safety held in Mozambique.

Rob is a Chartered Accountant whose career included merchant banking, manufacturing, transport & logistics, tourism, property, development, agriculture & fuel trading. He has worked in or had business dealings with many countries in Southern & East Africa. The latter part of his working life was in the tobacco industry in the FD role of major tobacco merchants in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. On retirement from the industry, he was asked to develop the Tobacco Leaf Exporters Association of Zimbabwe in 2021 which he does on a part time basis – with the goal of making TLEAZ a world recognised brand for quality, competitive and sustainably produced tobacco for its members.

He is also a Financial Consultant and a trained Executive Coach and qualified Commercial & Workplace Mediator – always having had a strong interest in self-development of his employees and colleagues.

Joined TAMA in 2006 as Operations Manager and rising since then 2000 – 2007 worked as Credit Officer with state run Malawi Rural Finance Company Present Employer TAMA Farmers Trust - a tobacco farmers organization established in 1929 to represent and promote members interests in tobacco farming. TAMA is governed by a team farmer representatives who are elected by fellow farmers every four years. Secretariet is employed by the farmers and reports to a board elected from within a national council of farmers.