Zhizha Natural Dried Foods and FasterCapital announced a strategic partnership through the Equitypilot programme to accelerate Zhizha’s expansion across Zimbabwe, the SADC region, the AfCFTA, and diaspora markets. The collaboration will leverage FasterCapital’s capital, technical resources, and go-to-market expertise to scale solar-powered, preservative-free food production.
Rising food insecurity, severe post-harvest losses, and growing diaspora demand are creating a significant market for affordable, shelf-stable, nutrient-rich foods. Africa’s dried food segment is expanding amid e-commerce growth and regional trade liberalisation, yet smallholders continue to face limited value-add capacity and cold-chain gaps. Zhizha addresses the gap between commodity exports and processed imports by converting indigenous produce into export-ready, organic dried foods, reducing waste and creating local livelihoods.
Zhizha produces more than 17 sun-dried products, including mangoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, matemba, madora and others, in 200g, 500g, and bulk formats, using solar drying and preservative-free processes. The woman-led social enterprise sources from cooperatives across six provinces, scaling monthly product units from 50 to over 1,000 per SKU in 2024. Zhizha combines provenance storytelling, eco-friendly packaging, and quality controls to meet EU, SADC, and diaspora market standards, offering a culturally authentic, climate-resilient alternative to conventional dried foods.
Under the Equitypilot programme, FasterCapital will provide equity capital, product and packaging engineering support, export market introductions, e-commerce enablement, and investor readiness coaching. FasterCapital applies rigorous selection criteria and hands-on acceleration; its backing validates Zhizha’s commercial and impact potential and expedites the $250,000 funding round focused on solar machinery, storage, transport, and market expansion. Expected outcomes include manufacturing capacity upgrades and first-stage export shipments within 9–12 months.
Hesham Zreik, Founder of FasterCapital, said: “Zhizha represents the convergence of impact and scalability, a proven founder, strong unit economics, and a product that meets real consumer and trade needs. Equitypilot will shorten the path to export readiness and commercial scale.”
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira, Founder and CEO of Zhizha, added: “This partnership validates our model of empowering rural women through value addition. FasterCapital’s capital and network will help us reach diaspora buyers while preserving Zimbabwean flavours and improving food security at home.”
Over the next 12 months, Zhizha will deploy solar drying machinery, upgrade packaging, and complete vehicle procurement to support regional distribution. Target milestones include doubling SKU throughput, securing SADC and EU buyer trials, and launching two new e-commerce channels for diaspora orders. The $250,000 raise remains open for equity or co-funding, with a roadmap to profitability and margin expansion by year three.
Zhizha Natural Dried Foods is a Zimbabwean social enterprise producing sun-dried, preservative-free foods from indigenous, organic produce. Founded to reduce post-harvest loss and create sustainable livelihoods for rural women, Zhizha blends climate-smart production with culturally rooted branding to promote food sovereignty.
FasterCapital is a global venture builder and online incubator dedicated to co-funding and co-founding innovative startups. Established in 2014, it is now the leading venture builder in terms of the number of startups supported, money invested, and money raised. FasterCapital supports startups worldwide through various programmes, including funding assistance, business development, and technical support. The LaunchUp programme is designed to help early-stage startups build scalable solutions with mentorship, strategic guidance, and network support.
