12 December 2025
Mukuru has joined forces with Women in Farming and Entrepreneurship (WIFE) to promote financial inclusion and support agri-preneurship among Zimbabwe’s rural women.
The partnership is centred on advancing agroecological sunflower farming as a means to empower smallholder farmers, providing them with access to finance, agricultural training, and market linkages to strengthen their livelihoods.
Serving over 17 million customers globally, Mukuru’s collaboration with WIFE underscores its commitment to fostering inclusive growth where financial tools can make the greatest impact. WIFE, founded in 2020, focuses on increasing women’s economic participation through agripreneurship initiatives, supporting farmers across Zimbabwe’s rural districts. Despite smallholder farmers constituting a significant portion of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector — estimated at 1.5 million by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization — many women remain excluded from vital financial services, markets, and training opportunities.
WIFE’s founder, Amanda Munyoro, emphasized that this partnership aims to bridge these gaps and marks a major step forward for rural women who depend on farming for their livelihoods. The pilot project has already begun with 30 farmers in Guruve, with plans to expand to 200 women over the next five years. Munyoro explained that through Mukuru’s services, especially the Mukuru Wallet, members will gain tools that enhance their participation in the economy and improve their quality of life. Although the initiative primarily targets women, 20% of the beneficiaries will be men to promote community-wide inclusion and shared growth.
A notable participant, 52-year-old widow Precious Hofisi, shared that the programme offers a tangible chance to stabilize her income and support her family: “access to inputs, knowledge, and a secure market will finally allow me to fully support my family.”
Mukuru’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Awonke Mbanga, highlighted that the programme combines financial inclusion with grassroots agricultural empowerment, helping rural women build resilient livelihoods and actively participate in their local economies.
The agroecological sunflower model at the heart of the project not only enhances food security but also provides a viable commercial crop, fostering community self-sufficiency. Over the next five years, WIFE aims to expand its circular sunflower value-chain groups into other rural areas in Zimbabwe, such as Guruve, and increase capital access for 500 women in Chikomba and Zvimba. Munyoro believes that sustained investment from Mukuru, a major player in the Southern African fintech space, will be instrumental in achieving these ambitions and strengthening rural agripreneurship across the region.
