Southern Africa

With the global population set to double in the coming decades, Southern Africa’s expansive arable land gives the region potential to become a centre of agricultural production and contributor to improved food security. Solidaridad is working to provide access to finance, integrated technology, and widespread adoption of good practices.
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Where We Work

Solidaridad manages programmes in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 218 million people live in extreme poverty, with the majority of the region’s populations living in rural areas and dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Commodities

2014

persons newly employed

14

recommendations submitted to key public- and private-sector decision-makers

14

civil society groups improved their involvement  in decision-making

Challenges

Unsustainable practices

Southern Africa faces economic, climatic and physical challenges, such as variable rainfall combined with unsustainable agricultural practices. These issues cause the degradation of the soil and water resource base, upon which future agricultural output in Southern Africa depends.

Unsustainable agriculture causes huge economic losses in some countries within the region. It leads to a decline in agricultural production, a loss of food security, mass migration, rapid urbanization and an increased need for governments to import food.

Ineffective resource management in remote regions leaves smallholder producers unable to access or invest in external inputs to improve their livelihoods and help remedy unsustainable land use. Despite significant economic growth over recent years, the benefits of  these investments in the region have mostly excluded the rural poor.

The effects of climate change are being felt around the world, and Southern Africa is no exception. With more severe weather events and few safeguards in place to protect against the impacts, smallholders are left particularly vulnerable.

Solutions

A holistic approach to sustainability

Southern Africa has experienced significant economic growth over recent years. However, the benefits of these investments have mostly excluded the rural poor. Opportunities have arisen for smallholders to feed into local supply chains, but support is needed. For example, access to services to apply better practices to ensure that produce meets international standards.

Making connections across the supply chain is key to increasing incomes and making farming a viable source of income to support families and communities. Solidaridad has supported smallholders to produce and supply Heineken with local, sustainable barley.

Improving livelihoods goes beyond the technicalities of farming and the individual farmer. Our Farmer Support Programme in Swaziland trained smallholder sugarcane producers in business skills and natural resource management, improving smallholders’ income and the number of areas under sustainable land use.

Digital solutions that build on existing tools and engage farming and mining communities on multiple levels are gaining traction. They are supplying better information for producers and actors along the supply chain.

Achievements

In 2024, Solidaridad Southern Africa advanced inclusive, high-impact initiatives—unlocking 4 million Euro in farmer savings in Malawi, raising tracked cotton yields by 71% in Mozambique, restoring 150,000 hectares of rangeland in Zambia, growing SME revenues in Zimbabwe, and securing key policy support regionally.

Regional Programmes

Accessing the market

The horticulture programme aims to contribute to the upskilling and commercialization of smallholder producers in the sector in Southern Africa. With the goal of improving local and regional market integration and coordination along the horticulture value chain, partnerships with supermarket chains in the region have been initiated and strengthened with a focus on how best to reach smallholder producers at their level and need, to ensure inclusivity in the value chain.

Change that matters with partners who care. Find out what we can achieve together.

Get in touch

Want to know more about our work in Southern Africa? Get in touch with our team.


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1st Floor, 25 Sturdee Avenue
Rosebank, 2196
Johannesburg
South Africa

+27 (0) 11 591 1200

infosaf@solidaridadnetwork.org


Souther Africa

1st Floor, 25 Sturdee Avenue
Rosebank, 2196
Johannesburg, South Africa
+502 2366 6565
infosaf@solidaridadnetwork.org


phindiwe nkosi

Phindiwe Nkosi
Communications Manager
Phindiwe.nkosi@solidaridadnetwork.org

Continental Supervisory Board

AFRICA

Top row, left to right: Isaac Gyamfi, Olivia Agbenyega, Gilles Attaye
Bottom row, left to right: Rachel Wanyoike, Susan Wacheke, Herman Kasekende

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Get in touch with our country teams

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Francisco Nhanale

Mozambique Country Manager

francisco.nhanale@solidaridadnetwork.org

Sheila Garakara

Zambia Country Manager

sheila.garakara@solidaridadnetwork.org