CCARDESA

16/10/2026

🇦🇴 Angola Celebrates Graduation of 33 Agricultural Specialists! 🎓🌱

A significant milestone for agricultural research and innovation in Southern Africa!

Initiated under the World Bank funded Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA), with regional coordination by CCARDESA, this postgraduate training continued through the commitment of the Government of Angola following the programme's closure.

👏 This achievement demonstrates that development investments can deliver lasting results when sustained through strong national ownership and commitment.

The 33 graduates will contribute to strengthening agricultural research, innovation and Angola's Regional Centre of Leadership in Cassava and Cassava Based Farming Systems.

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.ccardesa.org/angola-celebrates-graduation-33-agricultural-specialists-building-appsas-investment-research



SADC | World Bank Group | Instituto de Investigação Agronómica -Angola |

16/10/2026

From Test Tube to Table: How DARSS is Transforming Eswatini’s Banana Sector Through Tissue Culture- By Bongani Mvubu

Dear Colleagues,
By providing disease-free, high-yielding seedlings, the Department of Agricultural Research and Specialist Services is empowering smallholders, boosting rural economies, and driving export growth.
In the fertile landscapes of Eswatini, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking root, driven not by heavy machinery, but by microscopic innovation. At the forefront of this transformation is the Department of Agricultural Research and Specialist Services (DARSS). To learn more, follow the link below: https://www.ccardesa.org/test-tube-table-how-darss-transforming-eswatinis-banana-sector-through-tissue-culture
Thank you for your continued support!

15/10/2026

🚨 FINAL REMINDER! HAVE YOU REGISTERED?

🌍 Join us tomorrow, 16 October, for an exciting regional webinar on Protecting and Commercialising Agricultural Innovations!

🎙️ Meet our distinguished panellists!

Five experts from ARIPO, CSIR and AfCFTA will share valuable insights on intellectual property rights, patenting, technology transfer and how young agripreneurs can turn innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.

📅 16 October 2026
⏰ 10:00–12:00 CAT
💻 Online via Zoom

👉 Register now and secure your spot: https://shorturl.at/xhncI

📢 Don't miss out! Share this opportunity with young agripreneurs, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs across the SADC region.

Let's protect innovation, unlock opportunities and grow agricultural entrepreneurship in Southern Africa! 🌱



SADC | World Bank Group | Africa Free Trade Zone - Afcfta |

15/10/2026

Government tasks PSs to activate climate contingency plans: By Dorcas Kabuya
Dear Colleagues,
Government has directed all Permanent Secretaries and Provincial Administration heads to immediately operationalise multi-sectoral contingency plans ahead of the 2026/2027 farming season following forecasts of sharply contrasting rainfall patterns across the country. To learn more, follow the link below: https://www.ccardesa.org/zambian-government-tasks-pss-activate-climate-contingency-plans
Thank you for your continued support!

14/10/2026

🎤 MEET OUR WEBINAR MODERATOR!

🌟 Hon. Princess Boitumelo Mojapelo, a South African youth parliamentarian and passionate advocate for youth innovation and entrepreneurship, will moderate CCARDESA's upcoming regional webinar on Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer for Young Agripreneurs in the SADC Region.

💡 With her passion for empowering young people, Hon. Princess Mojapelo will lead an engaging discussion with experts on how young agripreneurs can protect their ideas, commercialise innovations and unlock new opportunities.

🚀 Don't miss this important conversation!

📅 16 October 2026
🕙 10:00–12:00 CAT
💻 Virtual via Zoom

🔗 Register now and secure your spot: [https://shorturl.at/xhncI



SADC | World Bank Group |

14/10/2026

In Serra da Mesa, charcoal production is a significant source of income for many communities, yet it also places pressure on forest resources. Researchers from the IIAM – Northeast Regional Delegation analyzed the impact of this activity on forest structure, vegetation, species of interest, and local community livelihoods. The study aims to understand this situation and contribute to solutions that balance community needs, the sustainable use of natural resources, and biodiversity conservation.
://youtu.be/R4ZiEVawqT4?si=vW2HuwQqhUO_fGc9

Na Serra da Mesa, a produção de carvão representa uma importante fo...

14/10/2026

The Golden Baton: How Ngangelive Gule Revived a Family Legacy in Big Bend- By Bongani Mvubu

Dear Colleagues,
In the sun-drenched Lowveld of Lubombo in the Kingdom of Eswatini, where the heat bounces off the sugarcane fields, a 29-year-old entrepreneur is turning dirt into digital-age gold, proving that a family’s greatest inheritance isn’t always cash but it’s the knowledge of how to feed a nation. Meet Ngangelive Gule. To learn more, follow the link below: https://www.ccardesa.org/golden-baton-how-ngangelive-gule-revived-family-legacy-big-bend
Thank you for your continued support!

13/10/2026

🌍🌱 OUT NOW! Southern Africa FSRP Newsletter | Issue #7

The latest issue of the Southern Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) Newsletter is here!

Discover inspiring stories, regional developments and practical insights into how CCARDESA, SADC Member States and partners are advancing climate resilience, soil health, agricultural innovation, digital extension and knowledge sharing across Southern Africa.

👉 Read the latest issue:
https://mailchi.mp/665a0a62972e/southern-africa-fsrp-newsletter-special-edition-14052321

📢 Read. Share. Inspire action. Help us spread these valuable insights across your networks!



SADC | World Bank Group |

12/10/2026

🌱 Are you a young agripreneur with an innovative idea? Do you know how to protect it and turn it into a profitable business?

🚀 Join our Regional Webinar on Protecting and Commercialising Agricultural Innovations!

CCARDESA, through the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat and CSIR Pretoria, invites young agripreneurs, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs across Southern Africa to this practical webinar.

💡 Discover how to:
✅ Protect your innovations through patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights.
✅ Navigate the patenting process and avoid common mistakes.
✅ Turn innovative ideas into commercially viable products and services.
✅ Access technology transfer, licensing and commercialisation opportunities.

📅 Date: 16 October 2025
⏰ Time: 10:00–12:00 CAT
💻 Platform: Zoom

🔗 Register now: https://shorturl.at/xhncI

📢 Don't let your innovation remain just an idea. Protect it. Commercialise it. Grow your business!

👉 Register today and share this opportunity with young innovators across the SADC region!



World Bank Group | SADC |

09/10/2026

Green Gold: How Umdoni Farm is Turning Eswatini’s Green Plague into Wealth: By Bongani Mvubu

Dear Colleagues,
The rolling hills of Malkerns are currently ablaze with a brilliant, deceptive gold. To an outsider driving through Eswatini during the month of June -July, the dense walls of vibrant yellow blossoms lining the roadsides looked like a celebration of mid-winter colour. But to the farmers of the kingdom, those yellow flowers represent the aggressive face of an advancing enemy. To learn more,’Follow the link below: https://www.ccardesa.org/green-gold-how-umdoni-farm-turning-eswatinis-green-plague-wealth
Thank you for your continued support!