Africa’s agricultural transformation may require a different kind of investor: institutions capable of providing patient, long-term capital rather than short-term agricultural lending. That question is gaining relevance as Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector highlights the financing gap affecting irrigation, mechanisation, horticulture and storage. A report published on October 4 noted that Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector requires billions of ...

Ten African countries have pledged nearly US$9 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), increasing their contributions to support rural development, smallholder farmers and stronger food systems across the continent. Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe announced their commitments to IFAD’s fourteenth replenishment cycle, known as IFAD14, ...

By Brandon Moss Africa’s agricultural sector continues to play a central role in food security, employment, rural livelihoods and international trade, with countries across the continent developing strong production bases in crops ranging from cassava and yams to cocoa, tea, maize and vanilla. The latest available FAOSTAT crop-production dataset covers agricultural production through 2024. Production ...

Zimbabwe dominated Africa’s tobacco leaf exports in 2024, accounting for 48.51% of the continent’s total exports and significantly outpacing other major tobacco-producing countries. According to trade statistics cited in a World Health Organization report released on August 31, 2026, Malawi ranked second with 20.06%, while Tanzania contributed 14.49%. Together, the three countries accounted for more ...

Agriculture can play a much bigger role in driving economic growth and improving food security across Southern Africa — but countries in the region need to make it easier to trade agricultural products across their borders. The focus on agricultural development at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 46th summit in August 2026 reflected a ...

Africa’s agricultural sector must accelerate efforts to become more resilient to global supply disruptions, rising input costs and climate-related shocks, as recent instability in international trade has exposed the continent’s continued dependence on external agricultural inputs. The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already created significant consequences for farmers across Africa, with ...

Africa’s growing appetite for milk and dairy products is widening the gap between domestic production and consumption, leaving major markets such as Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal and Zimbabwe increasingly exposed to imports, global price volatility and high production costs. The 2025 African Agriculture Barometer on the dairy value chain, produced by FARM Foundation, Afdi and the ...

A four-year, US$25 million food security initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has strengthened agricultural production and improved the livelihoods of more than 188,000 farming households across Zimbabwe, while supporting the country’s long-term goal of building a more resilient and productive agricultural sector. Implemented in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe and the ...

Zimbabwe has achieved a major milestone for its horticultural industry after exporting its first-ever shipment of blueberries to China, marking the opening of a lucrative new market following a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2025. The inaugural export follows the implementation of a phytosanitary protocol agreed between Zimbabwe and China, giving local blueberry producers access ...

Zimbabwean startup Maminda Agri-Fintech is transforming the way smallholder farmers access financial services, agricultural expertise and markets through an integrated digital platform designed to improve productivity and financial inclusion. Founded in 2025, the agri-fintech startup combines artificial intelligence (AI), satellite technology and digital financial tools into a single ecosystem that supports farmers throughout the agricultural ...