Does the idea of buying your own farm sound like a fairytale? Well it doesn’t have to be especially if you have the right mindset. Lack of affordable land and real estate prices that continue to rise in Zambia can be discouraging. But it’s time to get creative as newbies in the farming business. These two smart solutions can help you turn your farming fantasy into a reality —without breaking your bank account. We’ll also give you nine organisations you can approach for finance.

Two ways to realize your farming dream

Renting land

Most people choose to take the obvious option – securing a lease. Because you require a lot of time to build a business from the ground up, you’ll want a lease that will last for at least three years. A long-term contract can provide real security. Alot of Zambian farmers tend to complain about jealousy from the landlord when there business prospers. So, try to get yourself a good deal and think outside the box when designing your agreement. Most importantly, absolutely consult a lawyer.

Leaseholds from Chiefs

I’m talking about the customary land that chiefs own.  Traditional land in Zambia governed by traditional customs is accepted to be stable in so far as it has never led to serious conflict over land. The Land Act of 1995 is the guiding Act which recognizes customary tenure. It’s no secret that this land isn’t as easy to acquire but someone else’s misfortune may not be yours. So, go ahead and give it a try.

Nine organisations that can finance your agricultural projects in Zambia

1. Nyamuka Zambia Business Plan Competition

Nyamuka Zambia is changing attitudes towards entrepreneurship in Zambia for the better and innovation, growth and diversity are its watchwords. It is tasked with finding a new generation of business heroes and helping them put into place a game plan to grow their enterprises and tap into new markets that the Zambian economy needs. Furthermore, it finds a new generation of business heroes and helps them put into place a game plan to grow their enterprises and tap into new markets that the Zambian economy needs.Click here to read more.

2. Youth Development Fund Zambia

The main objective of the Youth Development Fund in Zambia is to finance viable projects that belong to young Zambian entrepreneurs. This is a project administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sport since 2010. In addition, you can apply for business loans and social grants starting from K2,500 up to K50,000. The best part is the flexible repayment terms which can go up to 36 months.

3. Kukula Capital

Kukula Capital is a leading venture finance and private equity firm in Zambia. The company operates under two main business areas: Fund Management and Advisory. They act as fund manager to our two venture funds: Kukula Fund I and Kukula Seed Fund. Through the funds, Kukula Capital invests in Zambian growth companies with capital and expertise. It has invested in ventures such as : Jabulani Sawmills Ltd,  its core business is Saw-milling of timber and production of value-added wood products such as wood boards and furniture. The expansion was financed with a royalty loan of USD 270,000. Click here to read more.

4. The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC)

CEEC is a government body in Zambia which born by an Act of Parliament whose mandate is to promote broad based and equitable economic empowerment of citizens that are or have been marginalized or disadvantaged and whose access to economic resources and development capacity has been constrained due to various factors such as race, sex, educational background, status and disability. Targeted citizens are Zambians who historically have been either marginalized or disadvantaged and have no access to economic resources or opportunities. Click here to read more.

5. Seedstars Africa

Seedstars Africa is a Swiss-based venture builder that invests in 35+ countries around the world especially in emerging markets in Asia, South America, The Middle East and Africa. Seedstars recently invested $330,000 in SimplePay, a young Nigerian third-party payment processing company that has created a solution which will likely disrupt payment services in Nigeria and Africa. It is a Seed Fund and Accelerator that started in 2011 and currently operates out of hubs in Nairobi (Kenya), Cape Town (South Africa), and Lagos (Nigeria). Furthermore, it funds only tech companies, with a particular emphasis on web and mobile products and services including agricultural. Its purpose is to provide support for projects that promote social and economic development of 34 countries on the continent. Click here to read more.

6. Fledge

The American based business accelerator – Fledge is yet again set to help impactful entrepreneurs take their ideas and prototype-stage companies into reality, via an intense, 10-week program of guidance, education, and mentorship, plus a large and growing network of support from past fledglings and hundreds of mentors. Their goal is to help foster a wave of companies that make not just a measurable impact in the world, but a noticeable improvement in the lives of everyone on the planet.  Click here to read more.

7. VC4Africa

VC4Africa is the largest online community of entrepreneurs and investors dedicated to building game changing companies on the African continent. Entrepreneurs have access to free online tools, mentor ship opportunities and private deal rooms. The community has members in 159 countries and meetups have been hosted in more than 50 cities around the world. If you’re a start-up looking for Funding for your venture or An Investor looking to Invest in the worlds fastest growing continent this is the platform for you. Click here to read more.

8. The Tony Elumelo Foundation For Entrepreneurship program

This recently launched $100 million Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) is an annual program of training, funding and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Founded by Mr. Tony Elumelu, the successful Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, the fund seeks to identify and support 1,000 startup entrepreneurs from across the continent each year over the next decade. The fund expects that the 10,000 start-ups and young businesses selected from across Africa will ultimately create one million new jobs and add $10 billion in annual revenues to Africa’s economy. Click here to read more.

9. African Women Development Fund

The AWDF is the first pan-African women’s grant maker in Africa. Since the start of its operations in 2001, AWDF has provided $17 million in grants to 800 women’s organizations in 42 African countries. The AWDF only awards grants to organisations, not individuals. It awards grants ranging from $8,000 up to $50,000. Click here to read on.

***Remember

Hardships often prepare people for an extraordinary destiny