Our #WCW today is Dr Nomhle Maggie Mliswa, a Zimbabwean agripreneur who turned her childhood love for gardening into one of the country’s most impactful farming enterprises. Known as Norma, she is the founder of Summerhill Farm, a 345-hectare smart agribusiness employing over 350 people, two-thirds of them women. Raised by parents with “green hands,” Norma grew up tending vegetables and chickens at home.
That early exposure inspired her to pursue farming seriously when she acquired land in 2007 under Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Program. Though trained as a hotelier, she embraced agriculture with determination, learning from her workers and proving that passion and resilience can build success. Summerhill Farm is a model of climate-smart agriculture.
Norma uses precision farming, mechanization, and eco-friendly practices guided by the 5Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Repurpose, Recycle. Her farm produces maize, potatoes, wheat, and soya beans at high yields, while also raising cattle, goats, and poultry. Beyond production, she has diversified into agro-education, eco-tourism, and biogas generation.
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Her impact on the community is profound. Employees enjoy housing, clean water, healthcare, and even an Early Childhood Development school for their children. Norma’s journey has not been without challenges.
As a woman in a male-dominated sector, she faced skepticism from banks and institutions. Even after undergoing spinal surgery in 2014, she continued to lead with courage, proving her worth and earning recognition locally and internationally, including being a finalist for the AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award. Today, Norma envisions Summerhill Farm as an agro-tourism hub and a beacon for climate-smart farming.
Her greatest satisfaction comes from contributing to food security and alleviating hunger. Her advice to women is simple yet powerful: remain focused, resilient, and never look down on yourself—because women in agriculture are true game changers.
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