Zanbreed Ltd has just dropped a game changer into Zanzibar’s poultry landscape. With a US$105 million investment in a fully integrated broiler project, the company is not only building a production facility. It is shaping a new chapter for local poultry production, local jobs, and how Zanzibar supplies fresh chicken to its people and tourists.
The project in plain terms
Zanbreed’s operation is designed to run end to end. Hatchery services, feed milling, environmentally controlled broiler houses, veterinary laboratory capacity, and slaughter facilities are brought together in a single production system. The target output is about 800,000 broiler chickens per month. The company says the project will create more than 1,000 jobs, with a focus on hiring young men and women from across Zanzibar.
Why this matters to Zanzibar
For years Zanzibar’s poultry sector has been a story of steady, grassroots growth. Smallholders doing the heavy lifting, rising urban demand, and a tourism sector hungry for fresh food have pushed production up year after year. Yet imports of frozen chicken still fill a critical gap. Zanbreed’s scale and vertical integration promise to shift that balance.
Here is what is likely to change for consumers, farmers, and the island economy:
- Fresh supply on the island will improve. A reliable local source of broiler meat reduces dependence on frozen imports from abroad. That matters for taste, quality, and the market for local restaurants and hotels.
- Jobs for young people will grow. Over 1,000 positions targeted at youth can ripple across households and local economies. These roles are not just farm labour. They include feed milling, biosecurity technicians, veterinary work, logistics, and plant operations.
- Market stability could improve. When one integrated operation can plan and manage feed, vet care, and processing, it can help stabilise supply during seasonal or disease-related shocks.
What the numbers say
The wider sector has been expanding. Recent estimates put Zanzibar’s poultry population at around 2.5 million birds in 2023 with a projection toward 3.0 million by 2025 as vaccination coverage and feed access improve. Poultry meat production rose from roughly 3,800 metric tonnes in 2020 to about 4,800 metric tonnes in 2024. Egg production climbed too, with around 45 million eggs in 2023 and near 48 million in 2024.
Consumption has responded. Poultry meat demand was about 5,200 metric tonnes in 2024, with local producers meeting close to 80 to 85 percent of that need. Per capita chicken consumption is rising from 3.2 kilograms in 2015 to around 4.5 kilograms today, and government forecasts see that number nudging closer to 6 kilograms by 2028 as incomes, tourism, and population trends continue.
The human angle
Numbers matter, but the human stories matter most. Imagine a young graduate in Unguja finding a stable job in feed formulation. Picture a small shop in Stone Town selling fresher cuts to neighbours rather than frozen imports. Think of a family poultry farmer in Pemba who can access better quality day-old chicks and affordable feed, enabling them to scale from a few dozen birds to a few hundred and earn a steadier income.
Zanbreed’s presence could give many of those small actors better linkages to markets and services. If the company prioritises training and contracts with local producers, it will not only expand poultry capacity but also spread wealth across communities.
Risks and constraints to watch
This is a bold investment, but the pathway is not without obstacles. The sector still faces chronic challenges:
- Feed dependency. Feed costs are driven largely by supplies from mainland Tanzania and global commodity markets. Feed price volatility can quickly squeeze margins.
- Disease risk. Outbreaks such as Newcastle disease have in the past reduced output by up to 15 per cent in bad years. Strong veterinary services and consistent vaccination are non-negotiable.
- Smallholder inclusion. About 80 per cent of poultry is produced by smallholders with fewer than 500 birds. If the new project crowds out local sellers or fails to integrate them, the social benefits will be limited.
- Cold chain and logistics. Fresh meat needs reliable cold chain and transport, especially to serve hotels and restaurants that expect consistent quality.
How stakeholders can convert promise into reality
Zanbreed’s investment is an opportunity for policy makers, development partners, farmers, and private sector actors to align around shared goals. Practical steps that would push the project from promise to long term impact include:
- Strengthening vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance so outbreaks are detected and contained quickly.
- Supporting local feed production where feasible and exploring public private partnerships to stabilise raw material supply.
- Designing inclusion programs so smallholders gain access to day-old chicks, extension services, and contract-buying arrangements.
- Investing in cold chain infrastructure and regional transport to ensure fresh poultry reaches customers while minimising waste.
The bigger picture
This US$105 million project is more than a factory. It is a turning point for Zanzibar’s food system. If managed well, it could cut reliance on frozen imports, lift incomes, and build resilience into the islands food supply. It also sets a benchmark for what modern poultry production can look like on an island economy.
The real test will be in the details. Will local workers get training and decent wages? Will smallholders gain access to inputs and markets? Will the operation help keep prices fair for consumers while delivering returns to investors? Answering these questions will determine whether Zanbreed’s broiler project becomes a model for inclusive growth or only a single big player in a crowded market.
Zanbreed’s arrival signals a capacity shift for Zanzibar’s poultry sector. For farmers, young workers, shop owners, and restaurant chefs, the change could be an answer to long standing bottlenecks. For policy makers and community leaders, it is a moment to steer a major private investment toward broad based benefit. If everyone plays their part, Zanzibar stands to gain more than meat on the table. It stands to gain a stronger, more reliable, and more prosperous poultry sector.
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