Once seen as a last resort, agriculture is being rebranded by Zimbabwean youth as a platform for innovation, independence, and impact. Across provinces, young farmers are making headlines.
Zimbabwe’s youth are rewriting the agricultural narrative. Once burdened with the idea that farming was an old man’s game, young Zimbabweans today are embracing agriculture not just for survival, but as a serious business.
In Mazowe, 27-year-old Tatenda Chikosha runs a mixed farm where he produces maize, tomatoes, and broiler chickens. “I studied finance but saw more return and purpose on the land,” he says. He now trains 50 other young farmers through a WhatsApp group called ZimAgriStars.
Programs like the Presidential Youth Farming Scheme, supported by Agribank and the Ministry of Youth, have given loans and training to more than 10,000 young farmers nationwide. NGOs such as Empretec, Plan Zimbabwe, and ZADT are also providing mentorship and access to technology.
Agri-tech is also gaining traction. In Mutare, 23-year-old Rutendo Mutsvangwa built a solar-powered irrigation system using recycled smartphone parts and Arduino sensors. Her innovation won the 2024 “Youth in Agri-Tech” award from the African Development Bank.
Agricultural colleges like Chibero and Kushinga Phikelela are seeing record enrollments, especially among women. These institutions are now integrating climate-smart techniques and digital record keeping into their curricula.
Challenges persist especially in land tenure, access to inputs, and climate shocks but the momentum is clear. Zimbabwe’s youth are not abandoning the land. They are transforming it.
“We are not just feeding the nation,” Rutendo says, “we are redesigning its future.”
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