Mukuru, a leading fintech provider, has joined forces with Women in Farming and Entrepreneurship (WIFE) to empower rural Zimbabwean women with financial tools, agricultural training, and market access. The partnership, launched this week, targets agroecological sunflower farming as a pathway to boost incomes and financial independence.

The initiative will initially pilot 30 women farmers in Guruve, with plans to expand to 200 within five years. While women are the primary focus, 20% of participants will be men to ensure community-wide inclusion. The programme combines Mukuru’s digital financial services, including the Mukuru Wallet, with WIFE’s agripreneurship training, aiming to strengthen rural livelihoods and economic participation.

“Through this partnership, rural women will gain access to finance, knowledge, and secure markets, tools that are critical for economic growth and improved quality of life,” said WIFE founder Amanda Munyoro. “Our goal is to empower women to lead resilient agribusinesses while fostering wider community development.”

By Ruvarashe Gora

Beneficiaries are already seeing the potential impact. Fifty-two-year-old widow Precious Hofisi from Guruve said the project offers a reliable pathway out of income instability. “Access to inputs, training, and markets will finally allow me to fully support my family,” she said.

Mukuru’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Awonke Mbanga, emphasized that the programme bridges financial inclusion and grassroots agricultural empowerment. “We are enabling women to participate fully in the local economy while building sustainable, market-ready agribusinesses,” Mbanga noted.

The sunflower farming model not only provides a commercial crop but also strengthens food security and community self-sufficiency. WIFE plans to scale the initiative to Chikomba and Zvimba over the next five years, reaching 500 women farmers with expanded access to capital and market linkages.

With smallholder farmers forming the backbone of Zimbabwe’s agriculture, this partnership represents a strategic effort to close gaps in financial services, training, and market access, particularly for women who have historically been excluded.