VBUs driving rural economic transformation in Matabeleland South – Minister Nguluvhe

**Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau **

Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe, has commended the impact of Village Business Units [VBUs] in driving rural economic transformation and changing lives at the household level across the province.

Speaking during a tour of projects in Beitbridge, Minister Nguluvhe said the community-based enterprises have fundamentally altered the economic landscape of semi-arid districts by shifting communities from dependence on erratic rains to sustainable, market-oriented production.

“They have had a serious impact in terms of elevating livelihoods. Everywhere you go, there is a green garden. Let’s grow cash crops, and I encourage the youths to take farming as a business. Matabaleland South is never the same again. The VBUs have demonstrated that with water, Matabeleland South and Beitbridge in particular can produce enough to feed itself,” said Minister Nguluvhe.

In the last few years, Government and its partners have mobilised resources to cushion citizens from the effects of drought, especially in semi-arid regions like Beitbridge where climate change has disrupted rainfall patterns and reduced yields from rain-fed fields.

The introduction of VBUs nationwide by the Second Republic has become a game-changer in that response, and in Matabeleland South, the initiative has been rolled out across 15 rural wards in Beitbridge with remarkable success in addressing food and nutrition challenges while creating significant revenue streams for households.

A typical Village Business Unit is a community-based, commercially run enterprise focused on agricultural activities, often involving horticulture and livestock, and supported by infrastructure such as solar-powered boreholes for irrigation, greenhouses, livestock facilities and, in some cases, fish ponds.

By empowering rural communities through sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship, the VBUs are bridging the economic gap between urban and rural areas, and they aim to generate income while improving livelihoods for families that previously relied on subsistence farming.

Since the start of the rollout a few years ago, the units have improved food availability and accessibility, enabling households to meet their nutritional needs throughout the year, including during dry seasons when traditional fields would have failed.

More importantly, villagers have become entrepreneurs who now supply local markets, schools and hospitals with fresh produce, and the income earned has been used to pay school fees, buy groceries and invest in small businesses.

The initiative forms part of the Presidential Rural Development Programme, which is aimed at propelling rural industrialisation and ensuring that no district is left behind in the country’s development agenda.

Minister Nguluvhe said that with reliable water sources and proper training, Matabeleland South and Beitbridge in particular have the capacity to produce enough to feed themselves and to contribute surplus to other parts of the country.

He urged young people to embrace agriculture as a viable business, noting that the green gardens now visible across villages are proof that targeted investment in rural infrastructure can unlock productivity and dignity at household level.