About Us
Our Farm
Bongo Macadamia Orchards is a working macadamia farm and nursery nestled in the beautiful hills east of Chipinge town, Manicaland, Zimbabwe. Established in 2018, our orchards span 80 hectares of terraced hillside with approximately 20,000 Beaumont macadamia trees — and we're still growing.
From our elevated position in the Umkondo geological region, our rows of macadamia trees stretch across the landscape, backed by forested mountains and the lush green valleys that make this part of Zimbabwe so special. We grow, harvest, process, and export premium macadamia nuts to buyers in China and Europe, managing every step of the journey from tree to table.
We estimate that once fully mature, our orchards will sequester over 200 tonnes of carbon every year, making macadamia farming not just a livelihood but a contribution to a greener future.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Chipinge's unique combination of altitude, rainfall, and rich volcanic soils creates ideal conditions for growing world-class macadamia nuts. The Umkondo region provides the warm summers and mild winters that macadamias love, along with reliable seasonal rains that are critical during the nut-fill period from January through March.
We grow the Beaumont cultivar, chosen for its reliable yields, excellent kernel recovery, and proven performance in Zimbabwean conditions. A mature Beaumont tree can produce 20 to 25 kilograms of nuts in husk per year. September through October is our flowering season, when beautiful pink racemes are pollinated by bees and begin setting the baby nuts that will grow and ripen over the following six months.
Every aspect of our farming — from irrigation and fertigation to groundcover management with nitrogen-fixing plants like Arachis Pintoi — is designed to work with the natural environment rather than against it.
From Harvest to Export
Quality doesn't stop at the orchard gate. Our new state-of-the-art processing facility features PLC-controlled drying bins with automated temperature, humidity, and airflow monitoring. Variable frequency drives manage ventilation precisely, and real-time dashboards let our team track every batch through the drying process.
After dehusking and controlled drying — where nuts lose 30-40% of their weight as moisture is carefully removed — the kernels are graded by size and quality before export. This level of precision ensures we consistently meet the exacting standards of our international buyers.
Our Team & Community
Behind every nut is a team of dedicated people. Our workforce of approximately 30 managers and field workers tend to the trees daily — from planting and irrigation to harvesting and fire prevention. When wildfires threatened our orchards, it was our team's foresight in preparing fireguards and their courageous firefighting that saved the plantation.
We're also deeply committed to the community around us. The Mugiyo Primary School sits just a mile from our orchards, and supporting local education and infrastructure is central to our mission. As our orchards mature and production grows, so does our ability to invest in the people and places that surround us.
Our Nursery
In addition to our production orchards, we operate a macadamia nursery right here on the farm. We grow strong, well-developed Beaumont seedlings — each over one metre tall — and offer them for sale to aspiring farmers across Zimbabwe.
Every seedling purchase comes with expert guidance from our team of horticulturists, covering soil preparation, spacing, irrigation, and ongoing care. We also provide after-sales support because we genuinely want every grower who buys from us to succeed. If you're interested in starting your own macadamia enterprise, get in touch — we'd love to help you get started.
