Chithumba Limited

Chithumba Limited can be seen as a bundle of services from pre-harvest to commodity trade:

Input loans
Chithumba Market Maker
Commercial contract farming for medium farms
Chithumba farm
Secure transport

Chithumba initially ran as a project under the Agricultural Commodity Exchange for Africa (ACE) Trust between 2015 and 2023, transitioned to a limited company in 2021, and started commercial activities in 2023. It was launched as an alternative finance mechanism implemented by ACE, designed to mitigate the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, particularly with regards to low productivity, lack of access to credit, and limited participation in the formal market. The model proposes a services bundle including pre-harvest finance for farm inputs (soya, groundnuts, and inoculant), agricultural extension services, and market assistance.

Over time, Chithumba has expanded to different activities to better link smallholder farmers to markets, while continuously supporting them with improved agricultural techniques for higher yields.

Our Team

Meet Our Dedicated Team

Managing Director

Jacob Kumwenda

Jacob Kumwenda is originally from Rumphi district in the Northern region of Malawi. He has an MA in Business Administration from the Eastern and Southern Africa Institute of Management, in Tanzania. He has been in the agribusiness field since 2012.

Jacob has been appointed Chithumba Managing Director in 2023 and is looking forward to guiding Chithumba’s new journey. What he loves most about his job is the working environment, which motivates him to look forward to going back to work the following day.

Operations Officer

John Msanyama

Originally from Lilongwe, Malawi, John holds a BSc in Agribusiness Management from Bunda College of Agriculture. He has experience in rural and community development field, focusing on agriculture extension, agribusiness management, and agriculture production.

Being the Operations Officer, John enjoys working with smallholder farmers and making an impact in transforming their livelihoods.

Accountant

Wishes Chabinga

Wishes Chabinga was born and raised in Lilongwe but is originally from Malawi's Chitipa district. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from DMI St John's Baptist University in 2020. Currently, He works at Chithumba Limited as an accountant.

Wishes' role entails using strong analytical skills to assess financial data, pricing, and profitability, keeping accurate records and maintaining financial documents related to seed procurement.

M & E Officer

Precious Steven Bulambo

Precious Steven Bulambo, hailing from Chitipa, is a dedicated professional with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Lilongwe University of Agricultural and Natural Resources (LUANAR). With a strong background in research, monitoring, and evaluation, he brings valuable expertise to his role as a Data Analyst.

Currently at Chithumba, Precious is instrumental in assessing and improving the impact of agricultural initiatives on farmers and stakeholders across Malawi. His responsibilities include designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, analyzing data to derive actionable insights, and supporting the development of knowledge products to highlight Chithumba's achievement

Technical Assistant

Asia Aschero

Asia Aschero is originally from Italy and is currently pursuing a Master’s in International Development, with specialisations in Agriculture and African Affairs, at Sciences Po Paris, France.

She joined Chithumba in 2023 as a Technical Assistant and is supporting the coordination of the upcoming agricultural season, alongside other activities. Working with a wide range of stakeholders to promote rural development is what she enjoys most about Chithumba.

Logistics Officer

Rogerio Kapiye

Rogerio Kapiye is originally from Dedza, Malawi. He holds a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and has 19 years of experience working as a driver for some well renowned companies and organizations in Malawi.

As the Chithumba Logistics Officer, Rogerio is determined and committed to contributing to the success of the company.