New African-led agribusiness Vision Sugar has launched a leadership roadshow to engage stakeholders in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

Vision Sugar was formed through the acquisition of distressed sugar producer Tongaat Hulett’s African operations and is backed by the Vision Consortium – a group of  investors from Southern Africa and the broader region.

The roadshow marks the start of Vision Sugar’s structured engagement with national leaders, farming partners and rural communities, as the company prepares to assume full operational responsibility for the business.

The programme includes in-country visits by the group’s executive team, including a strategic engagement with KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Reverend Musa Zondi and with heads of State in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.

Discussions have focused on agricultural resilience, rural economic development and Vision Sugar’s long-term contribution to national economies.

The group says it is focused on stabilising core operations while laying the groundwork for inclusive, African-owned growth.

In its operating countries where sugar is a key product and economic anchor, the company says it is drawing on strong local expertise and committed shareholders.

Stabilisation activities are under way, including mill readiness, payment assurance and field preparation ahead of the new season.

Vision Sugar highlights that it inherits well-established assets, deep sectoral expertise and more than 150 years of institutional knowledge. The company employs over 15 000 people across its four markets.

Brands such as Blue Crystal, Hippo Valley, Huletts and Triangle remain in operation, with no immediate changes to consumer offerings.

“This is not a rebrand, it is a reset. We are establishing a new model of African agribusiness – hands-on, performance-led and anchored in enduring partnerships. This roadshow is about clarity, consistency and bringing trust back to the heart of the business,” says Vision Sugar CEO Gavin Dalgleish.

As a majority African-owned and -led group, transformation is core to Vision Sugar’s mandate, the company points out.

In South Africa, it highlights its commitment to working within the existing transformation framework to support skills development, supplier diversity and fair access to opportunities for historically disadvantaged individuals and communities.

“KwaZulu-Natal has long been the heart of South Africa’s sugar sector, and we welcome Vision Sugar’s leadership in restoring stability, creating rural jobs and anchoring investment in the province.

“This transition signals more than economic recovery. It marks a new era of agricultural contribution built on African ownership, discipline and shared value. We stand ready to support Vision Sugar and ensure its success benefits the people of KwaZulu-Natal,” Zondi avers.

The investment consortium includes regional businesses and individuals, including South African businessman and philanthropist Robert Gumede of Gijima Agri, and Zimbabwean business leader Rutenhuro Moyo of Remoggo Investments.

“Africa must own its industrial future. Vision Sugar is proof that African investors, farmers, managers and workers can run, grow and transform complex value chains. We are here to scale, and we are here to do it with discipline, transparency, skill, and a clear eye to the next generation,” says Gumede.

“This is personal. We know this land, this sector, and these communities. In Zimbabwe, my home country, sugar has resilience in its DNA. We are ready to optimise, modernise and create real opportunities – and that work has already begun,” Moyo highlights.