Meet Julian Schonken: CEO of Zimbabwe’s $900 million food giant, Innscor Africa

Julian Schonken runs one of Zimbabwe’s largest food companies with a steady, inside-out approach shaped over more than two decades at the business. 

As group chief executive of Innscor Africa Limited, Schonken oversees a portfolio that spans milling, baking, protein processing and packaging. The company reports total assets of about $900 million and employs more than 10,000 people, supplying everyday products across Zimbabwe and the region.

Zimbabwean accountant to Innscor chief

Schonken’s path to the top was not sudden. A Zimbabwean national, he studied commerce at Rhodes University before qualifying as a chartered accountant with Deloitte. 

He joined Innscor in 1999 and moved through finance and operational roles, gaining a close view of how the group’s businesses fit together. In 2007, he was appointed group financial director and joined the board. He later led the light manufacturing division before becoming chief executive in September 2016. 

Today, he chairs the executive committee and sits on key investment and finance bodies across the group, keeping a direct hand in major decisions.

That grounding shows in how he runs the company: measured expansion, steady capital spending and a focus on products that households rely on every day.

Innscor invests $127 million, lifts volumes

Schonken’s tenure has focused on expanding production and tightening supply chains in a market often shaped by currency swings and input costs. 

Between 2022 and 2023, Innscor invested more than $127 million in new projects, including automated bakery lines, biscuit and snacks plants, pasta production and solar installations aimed at reducing power disruptions. 

The push has continued this year. One of the group’s units, Colcom Holdings, commissioned a new sow facility that lifted pork volumes by about 7.5%, while Bakers Inn installed a fully automated production line in Harare, improving consistency and raising output. Sales volumes at the bakery rose about 12%. 

At National Foods, aggregate volumes increased 18%, reflecting steady demand for staple products even in a challenging operating environment. 

In retail, the company has also updated its offering through Texas Meats, where changes to store layout and product range are aimed at faster service and a broader mix of protein products.

Strategic investment and community development

Beyond operations, Innscor has made selective investments. In March 2026, through Rutanhi Investments, it underwrote an $8 million rights issue to secure a 27.32% stake in Tanganda Tea Company. 

Schonken has also backed internal talent development. The company’s Training Outside Public Practice program recently graduated 70 finance professionals, pairing technical training with mentorship. 

Community projects remain part of the group’s work. Through its “Empower Tomorrow” initiative, Innscor supports education and local development. A recent project delivered a new classroom block at Marnocks Primary School, built in partnership with Buffalo Brewing Company, helping ease overcrowding for more than 1,400 pupils.

A long-standing player in Zimbabwe’s food sector 

Founded in 1987 by Zed Koudounaris and Michael Fowler, Innscor has grown into a broad manufacturing group with operations tied closely to agriculture.

It produces many of the country’s well-known staple brands and operates through major subsidiaries including National Foods Holdings Limited, Colcom Holdings Limited, Irvine’s Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, Rutanhi Beverages Limited, Natpak (Private) Limited, Profeeds (Private) Limited, and Probrands (Private) Limited. The company is listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange. 

For the six months ended Dec. 31, 2025, the company reported revenue of $635.78 million and profit of $54.98 million, supported by higher volumes in bakery, milling and beverages.

Schonken’s approach has been to keep the focus on output, distribution and cost control, the basics of a food business while adding capacity where demand is clear. In a sector that touches daily life, that steady approach has kept Innscor central to Zimbabwe’s consumer economy.