Welcome to the Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Engineering, located at the Great Zimbabwe University’s Mashava Campus. The School draws its inspiration from Gary Magadzire, the first President of the Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union and a renowned agriculturalist. Agriculture has always been a cornerstone of Zimbabwean culture and heritage, as evidenced by the sophisticated economic systems that sustained communities residing at and around the Great Zimbabwe Monuments. The School comprises three departments: Department of Livestock, Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Soil and Plant Sciences and Department of Agricultural Engineering.  The Department of Soil and Plant sciences hosts BSc Honours in Crop Science and BSc Honours in Soil Science. The Department of Livestock, Wildlife and Fisheries hosts BSc Honours in Animal Science and BSc Honours in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation. The Department of Agricultural Engineering hosts BSc Honours Degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering and all Engineering programmes: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Mining and Agricultural Engineering starting in August 2025. Additionally, the School will introduce BSc Agricultural Economics and Extension and two taught Master’s programmes: MSc Animal Science and MSc Agronomy in August 2025.

The degrees offered by the School emphasize innovation and entrepreneurship. To support this, students will actively participate in commercially running enterprises, including livestock, horticulture, field crops, wildlife, and fisheries. This hands-on approach ensures that graduates acquire practical and entrepreneurial skills, aligning with the School’s vision to become a world-class institution in teaching, research, community engagement, innovation, and industrialization. The School is committed to producing graduates equipped with agricultural, entrepreneurial, and innovative skills through quality teaching, training, research, and innovation to address real-life societal challenges. It also aims to identify and develop groundbreaking research with the potential for radical innovation and transformation, ultimately driving industrialization. The School extends its educational facilities to Chiredzi farmers, offering lectures on leveraging resources to increase sugarcane yields and improve crop quality. Additionally, the School offers postgraduate degrees (MPhil and DPhil) in Agriculture.

One of the School’s flagship programmes is the establishment of the Innovation Center for Dryland Agriculture (ICEDA) in Chivi District, Zimbabwe. This initiative, developed in collaboration with development partners, aims to operationalize Education 5.0.  The Centre’s main objective is to strengthen research in dryland farming in traditional grains, free range poultry, apiculture, aquaculture and herbal medicines. Amongst its key obligations, the Centre will focus on development of crop varieties that are resistant/tolerant to harsh climatic conditions, new indigenous beef cattle, pigs, small stock (goats, rabbits & poultry) and efficient post-harvest processing of traditional grains and fruits. In addition, the Research Center will engage in intensive propagation of livestock, forage, legumes and grasses that are suitable for semi-arid areas. Research into natural resources management, wetland reclamation and addressing land degradation will also be pursued. The Centre will also conduct training of farmers and extension officers on dryland farming practices, basic agronomy of crops, animal husbandry, fish farming and bee keeping. The Innovation Center for Dryland Agriculture (ICEDA) represents a significant step towards sustainable agricultural development, empowering communities, and fostering resilience in the face of climate change. Through its innovative research and community-focused initiatives, the Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Engineering is poised to make a lasting impact on Zimbabwe’s agricultural landscape.