🇿🇼ZimbabweSouthern Africa
Grace Dudzai Musa cultivates a green revolution in Melfort, redefining Zimbabwe's agricultural landscape
via NewsDay Zimbabwe8 min read
Grace Dudzai Musa, managing director of Discovery Coin, is transforming Zimbabwe's agricultural sector from her 13-hectare farm in Melfort, near Marondera. Her enterprise includes three hectares of greenhouses producing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, alongside open fields for leafy vegetables like covo, spinach, tsunga, lettuce, and carrots. The business also features 12 rooms for button mushrooms and six for oyster mushrooms, with an additional 14 hectares under development for crops such as watermelon, butternut, and potatoes. Musa's passion for agriculture began during her time in retail, where she recognized the vital role farming plays in the food supply chain. She now supplies fresh produce to major supermarkets, including Pick n Pay, across Zimbabwe. Despite initial setbacks, Musa's resilience and strategic insight have led to her success. She emphasizes that farming is more than a business; it is a calling that creates livelihoods and empowers communities, challenging the perception of agriculture as a male-dominated field. In 2023, Discovery Coin expanded to include meat imports and serviette manufacturing, though farming remains its core focus. Musa plans to establish an industrial site for local meat processing and exports, and to scale up greenhouse production for international markets, aiming to inspire other women in agriculture.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
James Wade Oliver Jr., founder of ZimWorX, has created over 1,800 jobs across Africa and beyond using an "insourcing" model. Oliver, who began his entrepreneurial journey at age 12, was drawn to Zimbabwe in 2015 after learning about its educated but underemployed youth. He launched ZimWorX in 2017, confirming the country's talent base during his first visit in 2018. Oliver aims to create 20,000 jobs by 2032 by expanding campuses in Harare, Lusaka, and Costa Rica, and investing in skills development, including AI training. He believes Zimbabwe has the potential to become Africa's outsourcing capital, provided there is a shift in global perception from "cheap labor" to premium talent, supported by infrastructure and technology investment. Oliver operates on a "Win–Win–Win" philosophy, ensuring every interaction benefits the client, his team, and the broader social mission. His business integrates faith, with 51% of profits donated to social causes, supporting education and community projects. Oliver's book emphasizes that global talent should be viewed as a growth strategy, not merely a cost-cutting measure, transforming both businesses and communities.
Must ReadThe African Development Bank AfDB has approved a US$25 million grant to Zimbabwe. This funding is specifically allocated to support communities vulnerable to climate change. The initiative aims to bolster resilience and adaptation efforts in regions most affected by climate impacts. Communities in Matabeleland and Masvingo are among those expected to benefit from this climate fund.
Must ReadThe African Development Bank AfDB is backing a new financial architecture, the New Architecture for Africa’s Development NAFAD, to help close the continent's financing gap and accelerate structural transformation. This initiative aims to leverage the balance sheets of African development finance institutions DFIs, along with pension funds, banks, and insurance companies, to pool resources and maximize capital impact. AfDB president Sidi Ould Tah champions this collaborative approach, which focuses on risk mitigation and sharing to optimize the value of invested funds. Kevin Urama, the bank’s chief economist and vice-president for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, emphasized that collective action leads to greater long-term impact. African governments are also urged to play a critical role through stronger domestic resource mobilization, improved macroeconomic management, and governance reforms to attract additional investment. Africa requires significant funding, including US$1.3 trillion for Sustainable Development Goals, US$221 billion annually for infrastructure, and US$402.2 billion annually for structural transformation. Urama noted the paradox of vast financing needs coexisting with an estimated US$4 trillion in untapped domestic capital. The challenge is compounded by rising geopolitical fragmentation and declining official development assistance, as major economies redirect resources domestically.
Must ReadFuel service stations in Zimbabwe are refusing to accept the new Zimbabwe Gold ZiG currency, a calculated move by businesses that have experienced multiple currency transitions. Their resistance stems from the economic reality that fuel is imported and paid for in US dollars, creating a currency mismatch when they are required to sell in ZiG. Converting ZiG revenues to US dollars is not seamless, and the disparity between the official and parallel market exchange rates leads to losses for businesses operating on tight margins. This situation highlights a broader issue of confidence in the new currency. For ZiG to gain traction, the government must demonstrate unwavering commitment by pricing key public services, such as passports and licenses, in ZiG. Currently, citizens are required to pay for passports in US dollars, an inconsistency that sends conflicting messages to the market. The government needs to streamline foreign exchange access, ensure the official exchange rate reflects market realities, and address structural inefficiencies. Clear and consistent communication is also crucial to build trust. The success of ZiG depends on public belief, which will be shaped by the government's actions, starting with its own services.