Story by Nyasha Makota
ZIMBABWEAN universities are drawing significant interest at the 21st Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in Gaborone, Botswana, where more than 100 institutions are showcasing technologies aimed at addressing Africa’s most urgent agricultural challenges.
The exhibition hall has become a focal point of the conference, with Zimbabwe’s stands attracting steady traffic from delegates keen to explore home-grown innovations that align with climate resilience, food security and digital transformation.
The University of Zimbabwe is exhibiting its drought-tolerant VN seed varieties, developed and validated through research focused on strengthening food and nutrition security in arid regions.
“The VN seeds are a variety meant to resist drought, at the same time promoting food and nutrition security. It is a direct response to education 5.0, which speaks to innovation and industrialisation,” UZ plant breeder and biotechnologist, Professor Edmore Gasira said.
Chinhoyi University of Technology is demonstrating its artificial intelligence-powered Hurudza app, a digital contact centre offering farmers agronomic support in local languages.
“The Hurudza AI application allows farmers to get solutions on the go. They can access it in our local languages. It offers agronomist services just by the click of a button. The idea is to solve agricultural problems with urgency so as to promote productivity under Vision 2030,” student innovator, Frank Makeba said.
The innovations have drawn praise from regional institutions.
“I am impressed by the practical orientation. The Zimbabwean exhibits show a clear pathway from student project to community impact. Their climate-smart agriculture models are particularly relevant for our regions. As Makerere University, we look forward to building partnerships,” student delegate, Emiu Denis said.
The strong interest at the Zimbabwean stands highlights growing demand for African-developed technologies tailored to local conditions. For the Zimbabwean delegation, the exhibition offers opportunities to attract investment, forge collaborative projects and commercialise prototypes emerging from the country’s research institutions.
