By Johnson Siamachira
Harare, (New Ziana) — “What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I know,” reflects Mpokiseng Moyo, a smallholder farmer at the Rustlers Gorge Irrigation Scheme in Gwanda South district.
Her words demonstrate the transformative power of solar energy in agriculture, a change that has revitalised the arid lands of Matabeleland South Province. Moyo stands proudly among her thriving onion crop, a stark contrast to the dry landscape of the past.
“This land used to be very dry and unproductive,” says Moyo. “Our diesel pumps used to break down frequently. Crops wilted and our families had no access to plant-based protein. Now, we have all-year-round productivity at our farms.”
Moyo is among 10,000 people participating in Zimbabwe’s first inclusive solar-power-mini grid—the Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities (SE4RC) initiative, established in 2016. The project is equipping smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, with clean energy technologies that are reshaping agricultural productivity in the drought-prone district.
The district grapples with a harsh climate that delivers less than 650 millimetres of rain annually. The local economy is driven by agriculture. Changes in weather patterns have turned this into an often losing gamble for the smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed rainfall. In the area, one of the solar energy sources is Mashaba mini grid.
Mashaba’s mini grid draws power from 400 solar panels, each generating 255 watts at peak. The system converts direct current to alternating current through four solar inverters. From there, electricity flows through a step-up transformer and out into the community.
Four solar projects implemented by Practical Action and a consortium of other development agencies—have focused on connecting off-grid solar systems, helping smallholder farmers extend their farming seasons—and reduce their dependence on unreliable energy sources and fossil fuels.
As part of good agricultural practices, the projects implement Conservation Agriculture — a crop management system based on minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, mulching and crop rotations.
The cropping system can be labelled as climate-smart, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Under the SE4RC project, three irrigation schemes with 65.6 hectares of land under solar- powered irrigation were established.
“Before the solar-powered pumps technology, farmers from Mankonkoni, Rustlers’ Gorge and Sebasa irrigation schemes, harvested five tonnes of maize per hectare.The yields have now gone up to 10 tonnes of maize per hectare and with the new hybrid drought-tolerant maize varieties, the yields can go up to 15 tonnes per hectare,” said Gwanda South agricultural and rural development advisory services officer, Uteng Silaigwana. Zimbabwe enjoys 3,000 hours of sunshine per year.
The country’s economy is predominately agro-based and with the bulk of the population living off the land, solar irrigation is critical. The National Energy Policy of 2012 and the National Renewable Energy Policy of 2019, have recognised the importance of renewable energy in socio-economic development.
“These are not fly by night technologies,” says Henry Muchedzi, Practical Action in Zimbabwe head of programmes. “We co-designed the projects with the farmers to find solutions to their energy and food security challenges. And, we’ve trained them to manage their own solar systems. The results are community-owned, and that’s why it’s sustainable.”
The smallholder farmers grow vegetables, onions, tomatoes, butternuts, cucumbers, carrots, maize and wheat throughout the year — they are no longer limited to rain seasons. “In the past, we farmed only for four months,” says Kelebone Ndlovu, chairperson of Mankonkoni Irrigation Scheme in Ward 19, under the SE4RC initiative.
The scheme has 40 farmers. Each farmer irrigates about 0.6 hectares of land. For Ndlovu, farming is ‘life.’ The farmers are now able to follow their farming calendar. “Now, we plan for throughout the year. Our children eat healthier. We sell surplus produce to local markets such as boarding schools and the Grain Marketing Board as well as to distant urban areas. We use the sun to generate energy. We’re turning wastelands into greenbelts.”
Alvote Mutungwe is the technician behind the Mashaba mini grid. Since 2016, he has been responsible for making sure it runs safely, efficiently, and reliably. “In electricity, safety comes before anything else,” he says.
“I’ve never had an accident at work.” Practical Action has trained him in solar system design and installation. These initiatives have led to an average annual income increase of $350 per farmer, a significant boost in a region where many struggle to make ends meet.
The Renewable Energy Empowering Women Farmers (REEWF) project, launched in 2019, further supports this cause by focusing on women’s empowerment and gender equality. Targeting nearly 1,000 smallholder farmers, REEWF has established 18 solar-powered irrigation gardens, enhancing access to reliable energy for agricultural production.
Another initiative, the Enhanced Agricultural Productivity and Resilience to Climate Change through Solar Powered Irrigation (REAP), has installed solar systems across Matabeleland South.
This project has helped 919 farmers, predominantly women and youth, to achieve sustainable agricultural productivity. The Planting for Progress (P4P) initiative emphasises environmentally-friendly practices, helping over 1,300 farmers in Gwanda and Bulilima districts to adopt solar irrigation and improve their financial access.
Nonhlolo Ndlovu, leader of the Tsoelapadi Garden project, recalls the struggles of the past: “Tilling our fields felt futile. Now, with solar-powered pumps, our income has grown, and we support our children’s education.”
“Before, the biggest challenge was feeding our families. We tried small gardens, but water was a challenge; when it was available, it was critical for drinking and our livestock, leaving our gardens dry. Trying to irrigate them meant fetching water with buckets and that would mean losing the whole day in the garden,” bemoaned Ndlovu.
“Now, with solar-powered pumps our income as women farmers has grown, and we’ve been able to support our children’s education. Clean energy didn’t only change how we grow crops—it changed our entire livelihood,” says Ndlovu, adding: “We now see agriculture and energy as the future of hope.”
The four projects align with the United Nations’ Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility and supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). These projects have proved to be sustainable after the conclusion of donor funding and other material support.
“We have been trained to take care of the solar energy infrastructure. We now have a sense of ownership of the projects. What we do, we know. For ever,’’ says Moyo. “Big change starts small. We’ve demonstrated that smallholder farmers aren’t passive recipients of donor aid, technical assistance and are not climate change victims,” says Muchedzi.
“They’re climate resilience participants and can bring the change they want if development organisations find out what they are doing and help them to do it better.”
New Ziana