Amid growing youth unemployment and shifting weather patterns across Southern Africa, Malawian entrepreneur Daniel Chibwe is building a commercial business model around climate-smart agriculture designed to keep young workers on the land.
Chibwe, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mchinji-based Mlatho Farms, is part of a emerging wave of African agripreneurs promoting commercial agriculture as a primary driver of employment and economic resilience rather than a fallback option.
“I saw potential where others saw struggle,” said Chibwe. “If you want to build an enterprise that lasts, you must understand how to create value, manage finances, plan strategically, and build for the future.”
The venture operates as a climate-smart farming and permaculture hub, providing training focused on low-cost, soil-restoration techniques such as swales, berms, and organic fertilizers. Since 2022, the enterprise has trained more than 200 local farmers in sustainable practices that Chibwe says boost crop yields by 20% to 30% while reducing reliance on capital-intensive imported machinery.
Rather than pitching high-cost irrigation systems during international trade and policy forums in South Africa, Senegal, Germany, and Liberia, Chibwe advocates for capital-efficient, scalable solutions suited to local smallholders.
“From an agroecology and permaculture point of view, we need to embrace small and slow solutions,” Chibwe said. “We are talking about swales, berms, box ridges, and organic manure. These are practical tools that conserve water and restore soils.”
The enterprise’s growth strategy reflects a broader shift aligned with Malawi’s MW2063 economic blueprint, which emphasizes commercial agriculture and youth involvement as core engines of national growth. Over the past three years, Mlatho Farms has raised roughly $12,000 in seed capital and grants from international organizations, including the Tony Elumelu Foundation, AUDA-NEPAD, and Permaculture Australia.
Chibwe plans to expand Mlatho Farms into an agribusiness incubator and formal training center, targeting young graduates entering the labor market.
“We are interested in making farming generational in Africa,” Chibwe said. “But for that to happen, young people need training, access to land, and access to capital.”
