Prosper Ndlovu recently in Windhoek, Namibia
MIDLANDS State University (MSU) is emerging as a leading example of Education 5.0 policy, transforming university knowledge and infrastructure into commercial enterprises, export products, jobs and opportunities for surrounding communities.
The university is increasingly moving beyond the traditional higher education model of teaching and research to embrace innovation, industrialisation, community engagement and commercialisation — key pillars of Education 5.0 and the Second Republic’s drive to build an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
MSU’s growing commercialisation drive was showcased during a recent Zimbabwean outward trade mission to Namibia organised by ZimTrade, where the university outlined its expanding portfolio of agricultural, manufacturing, laboratory and service enterprises.
Director of the MSU Agro-Business Unit, Mr Joseph Matarutse, said the university was deliberately developing third-stream revenue sources to complement student fees while strengthening its contribution to national production.
“We thought as a university, we must generate some third streams of income. We should not rely only on fees paid by students, but we should generate some third stream income,” he said.
The approach dovetails with the Second Republic’s broader economic development strategy under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which emphasises production, value addition, industrialisation, innovation, private-sector development and the creation of sustainable jobs.
At MSU, the strategy is being translated into practical enterprises spanning agriculture, manufacturing, diagnostics, textiles, printing, food processing and language services.
Its agro-business division has diversified into citrus, horticulture, poultry, beef cattle, piggery, goat production and livestock improvement, with the university now taking some of its produce into international markets.
MSU is exporting sugar snap peas to markets in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, while rock melons are being developed for export to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“In the agro-business, we grow citrus, we have horticulture for both local and export horticulture. We have got poultry, we have beef cattle, piggery and goat production and livestock improvement,” said Mr Matarutse.
“We are exporting two lines of horticulture; we are exporting peas, that is the sugar snaps and we are also into the export of rock melon.”
The export drive demonstrates how Education 5.0 is moving from a policy concept into commercial production, with university research, technical expertise and infrastructure being used to create products capable of competing beyond Zimbabwe.
The model also supports President Mnangagwa’s emphasis on value addition and beneficiation, with universities expected to use their research capacity to solve production challenges, develop new products and support industrialisation.
Beyond agriculture, MSU operates clothing and textile enterprises producing academic gowns and protective clothing, as well as food and beverage, chemical and printing businesses.
The university has also established a pathology and diagnostic centre equipped with advanced technology, while its language institute is commercialising linguistic expertise through specialised services.
Mr Matarutse said the university’s commercialisation programme was also being aligned with the Government’s rural industrialisation and inclusive development thrust, particularly the objective of ensuring that economic opportunities extend beyond major urban centres.
“The Government’s vision on the 2030 agenda looks for rural industrialisation and the creation of employment in the rural areas and product manufacturing in the rural areas, final products. So, as MSU, we are also involved in community engagements,” he said.
At Holy Cross, MSU is providing technical support to a community farming project covering about 120 hectares, producing crops such as wheat, sugar beans and maize.
The university has also supported the development of lodges aimed at stimulating local tourism and employment, demonstrating the broader economic potential of university-community partnerships.
At Pitscottie Farm in Kwelwe, the construction of a major dam has opened opportunities for an integrated agricultural and tourism model incorporating aquaculture, wildlife management, agro-ecotourism, crop production and pasture development.
MSU is also looking at moving further up the value chain through projects such as milling and livestock-feed production, which could supply its own operations while creating opportunities for surrounding communities.
Mr Matarutse said MSU had established commercial structures capable of generating revenue and supporting its own operations.
“We’ve essentially set aside the commercial unit that can pay its own employees and also generate income for the university. The agro-industrial park is generating money for the university and able to recruit and pay its employees separate from the main university,” he said.
The model is consistent with the Second Republic’s drive to make Education 5.0 a catalyst for innovation-led industrialisation, with universities increasingly expected to commercialise research and contribute directly to economic growth.
However, scaling up production and exports requires substantial capital, and MSU is increasingly pursuing partnerships and joint ventures with financial institutions and private-sector players.
Mr Matarutse said smaller projects could be funded through enterprise revenues and university resources, while larger ventures would require external investment.
The university is already preparing to enter a joint venture with a bank, while other financial institutions have expressed interest in financing its projects.
MSU’s experience demonstrates the potential for Zimbabwe’s universities to become important players in the productive economy by leveraging their land, laboratories, research capacity, technical expertise and human capital.
It also reinforces President Mnangagwa’s call for institutions of higher learning to produce solutions, products and enterprises rather than confining innovation to academic publications.
