Tawanda Mubvuma

DELTA POSTS RECORD US$1.09 BILLION REVENUE AS PROFITS, VOLUMES AND TAX PAYMENTS SURGE. Delta Corporation revenue rose 35% to a historic US$1.09 billion in FY2026, marking the first time the beverages giant has crossed the US$1 billion mark. Excluding Schweppes, revenue growth stood at 23%. EBITDA increased 42% to US$236 million, while profit before tax jumped 56% to US$210 million. Earnings per share rose 35% to US11.44 cents, with the effective tax rate at 27.6%. Lager Beer and Sorghum Beer volumes both grew 19%, while Sorghum Beer Zimbabwe exceeded 4.6 million hectolitres — surpassing the previous 1998 peak. Sparkling Beverages volumes grew 14%, with total non-alcoholic beverage volumes, including Schweppes, reaching 3.1 million hectolitres, up 16%. Delta says it absorbed about US$30 million in sugar surtax costs to protect affordability. Schweppes Holdings Africa Limited (SHAL), now consolidated as a subsidiary, contributed US$101 million in revenue. African Distillers (Afdis) delivered 50% volume growth, with RTDs up 62%, wines up 57% and spirits up 34%. Delta paid more than US$306 million in taxes during the year, a 37% increase from the prior year, covering excise duty, sugar surtax, corporate tax, VAT and PAYE. The company also revealed that cumulative ZIMRA tax assessments against Delta Beverages and Afdis now stand at approximately US$97 million, up from US$73 million last year. Delta says it has already paid US$18.7 million under the “pay now, argue later” principle while contesting the assessments.

SOUTH AFRICA IS NOW THE WORLD’S LEADING CITRUS EXPORTER. South Africa has overtaken Spain and is now the world's leading exporter by volume. Citrus is the leading agricultural export product, accounting for 17% of South Africa’s agricultural exports of US$15.1 billion in 2025.