Rob Stokes
Director & CEO
About ROC Systems
Agricultural engineering shaped by 25 years of farming.
ROC designs and builds tobacco curing, grain drying and crop-handling systems in Chinhoyi. The company was started by Rob Stokes after years of farming tobacco himself, and that is still how we judge a design: does it save fuel, simplify management and keep working in season?
Who we are
Built by people who know the crop.
Rob Stokes started ROC in 2012 after farming tobacco himself for many years. ROC grew from the same problems he had to solve on his own crop: curing evenly, using fuel properly, moving tobacco with less handling, and keeping equipment simple enough to run and maintain on a farm.
We grew our own tobacco and cured it on the same tunnels we sell. In recent seasons Rob has also applied regenerative farming principles, which has strengthened the same way of thinking: reduce waste, understand the whole system, and make decisions that work practically in the field.
The short version
ROC by the numbers.
2012
ROC founded in Chinhoyi
25
Years of farming experience behind Rob's designs
10
Systems in the range, from curing to handling
3
Countries supplied — Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi
The people
The people behind ROC.
Peter Stokes
General Manager
Louise Stokes
Director & Office Manager
Monalisa Zhoya
Finance & Admin Manager
Valourmore Chipungu
Administration Manager
Farai Kanyungwe
Projects Engineer
Greatjoy Mavheneke
Draughtsman
What matters to us
Practical engineering, straight advice.
No.PrincipleWhat it means
01
Keep it simple
Fewer parts, and controls you can understand. Less to learn, less to go wrong.
02
Build it to last
Built to take a beating, and easy to service when it needs it.
03
Proven on our own crop
We worked our main products out on our own tobacco crop before selling them.
04
Recommend the right spend
Rob knows the buying side of farming. If a smaller upgrade or simpler layout will solve the problem, we will say so.
05
Sized to your farm
We match every setup to your crop, site and volume.
06
Stay involved
Site visits, build checks, commissioning help and season support are part of the job, not a surprise extra.
What we supply
ROC supplies the working system. You supply the bricks and builder.
We design, manufacture and supply the components that make the system work: drawings, steelwork, heat exchanger, fans, ducting, vents, doors, ceilings, trolleys, traverses, clips, augers and controls where required. The farmer supplies bricks, foundations and the local building team. We check the build against the drawings as it goes up, but the farmer remains responsible for the builder and the brickwork.
ROC supplyCustomer supply
ROC supply
- Site visit & system recommendation
- Drawings & layout
- Steelwork & working components
- Heat exchanger, fans, ducting & controls
- Vents, doors, ceiling, trolleys, traverses & clips
- Build check-ins, commissioning & season support
Customer supply
- Bricks
- Foundations & concrete work
- Local builder & labour
- Builder supervision & following the drawings
The split keeps local building work local, while ROC focuses on the parts that make the system cure, dry or move crop properly.
On pricing
Fair pricing, and the fix that suits the farm.
Our equipment is efficient and built to last, and it's priced at what it takes to build properly — nothing on the quote we couldn't justify across the table. Rob has been on the buying side of farming, so when a smaller change will get you the result, we'll point you to that before a bigger spend.
How we price it
- Working out what you need costs nothing.
- If a smaller upgrade solves it, that's what we quote.
- Build checks, commissioning and season backup are in the price.
Our workshop
Made in Chinhoyi.
Core components are made and assembled in our Chinhoyi workshop. Our teams build them week in, week out, and when a specialist process needs heavier machinery, we use trusted partners and keep responsibility for the finished system.
How we work
We listen first, then specify.
Every job starts with us understanding the crop, the site, the volume, the buildings already in place, power, fuel and labour. Then we work out what actually suits the farm — sometimes that's new equipment, sometimes it's getting more out of what you've already got. After the quote is accepted, we stay involved through drawings, build check-ins, commissioning and the first season of operation.
Get in touch
Start with the crop and the site.
Tell us the crop, the volume and the site. We'll work out what fits and quote it properly. No charge for the advice.