Author(s)

Mthintwa Tawanda Hove^1*, Hlamalani Ngwenya¹, Kinwell Madhazi^2,3

¹Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
²Institute of Development Studies, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
³Facilitation for Systemic Change Consulting, Cape Town, South Africa.

The adoption of digital advisory systems is transforming smallholder agriculture in Zimbabwe, a country where agriculture remains the primary livelihood for most of the population. Despite significant investments in digital technologies, agricultural productivity continues to underperform. This study explores the barriers preventing the scaling of digital advisory services among smallholder farmers and identifies strategies to optimize their adoption. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 854 smallholder farmers, 40 extension staff, and 8 development workers across six districts in Zimbabwe. The study reveals a high mobile penetration rate of 91%, higher than the 85% reported in the literature. However, challenges such as limited digital literacy, poor network connectivity, and financial constraints hinder the effective use of mobile advisory services. The findings also highlight a strong reliance on basic communication tools like SMS (42.83%) and WhatsApp (25.14%) for receiving agricultural information, while more advanced tools like mobile apps have lower adoption. Key recommendations include investing in nationwide digital literacy programs, incentivizing mobile network operators to improve rural connectivity, and developing human-centered, scalable digital solutions tailored to farmers’ needs. Furthermore, integrating AI-driven advisory systems with popular platforms like WhatsApp could significantly enhance the delivery of site-specific, actionable farming advice. This research provides insights into how digital advisory systems can be leveraged to improve agricultural productivity in Zimbabwe and other similar contexts.

Digital, Agriculture, Advisory Services, Rural Development, Barriers to Adoption, Digital Literacy, Scale

Hove, M. , Ngwenya, H. and Madhazi, K. (2024) Digital Advisory Systems in Zimbabwean Agriculture: Opportunities and Constraints. Agricultural Sciences, 15, 1315-1339. doi: 10.4236/as.2024.1511072.