SPAR Zimbabwe planted 10,000 trees on 3 December 2022 and is sowing the seeds for 20,000 more in 2023. Through this initiative, the retailer was the country’s largest non-commercial planter of trees this planting season. This number of trees planted was also a boost for SPAR International’s campaign for tree planting, which began in 2022.

The planting of the native Acacia trees happened on Zimbabwe’s Presidential Tree Planting Day on 3 December. It took place in Nyabira, an area of the country in need of woodland rehabilitation.

Members of SPAR Zimbabwe, My Trees Trust, a local school, representatives of the community, the local Council, and several donor companies came together to plant the trees. The Director General of Zimbabwe’s Forestry Commission Mr Abedinigo Marufu was the guest of honour on the planting day.

Planting for the future

With a view to the future, two community members have received training to oversee the continued safe growth of the trees. The campaign empowers a local school which agreed to take ownership of the trees and incorporate the reforestation initiative into the school curriculum.

SPAR Zimbabwe General Manager, Cypren Borerwe, said: “The iconic SPAR logo is a tree. It is an integral part of our identity and our heritage, and it represents a symbiotic relationship, where all parts work together for the mutual benefit of all. Trees quite literally bring life to our planet, and they are vital to our survival.”

Through this large planting, SPAR Zimbabwe has significantly contributed to the Zimbabwean government’s target of planting 25 million trees during the season that runs from November 2022 to March 2023.

One Tree Planted

SPAR International launched a campaign to promote tree planting in celebration of the 90^th year of SPAR’s founding in 1932. Partnering with One Tree Planted, SPAR country organisations have embraced this campaign and continue to increase the number of trees planted internationally with over 37,000 trees planted to date. The tracker on our site is continually updated as more trees are planted in communities around the world.

Source: SPAR Zimbabwe

Read more about SPAR Zimbabwe.

About SPAR Zimbabwe

In 1967, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) became the 13th country to join the SPAR network after signing a license agreement with SPAR International. In 2015, an independent retailer took over the license for the SPAR Brand in Zimbabwe after the previous license holder divested this retail division.

Despite the challenging economic environment, SPAR Zimbabwe continues to grow its store network. It also remains actively involved in the local community, helping to make a difference through charitable and sponsored initiatives.