Youngest CEO, entrepreneur to headline youth agenda at Livestock Conference

A 20-year-old agriculture entrepreneur and student is set to take centre stage at this year’s Livestock Conference, where she will speak on strengthening youth participation in livestock production and value chains.

Phumzile Praise Ntonisani, popularly known as the African Cowgirl, will present on 20 March 2026 at the annual conference organised by the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture. The event will be held in Bulawayo.

Ntonisani, is currently studying Sustainable Food Production at National University of Science and Technology, and is expected to be the youngest speaker at the conference.

“I am very excited to be a guest speaker at the Livestock Conference taking place on the 20th of March 2026 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair. I am honoured to also be the youngest speaker at this conference,” she said.

Ntonisani will deliver a presentation titled ‘Strengthening Youth Involvement in Livestock Production and Value Chains’, focusing on opportunities for young people in agriculture.

“During the conference, I will be speaking about strengthening youth involvement in livestock production and value chains, and how young people can unlock opportunities in agriculture through value addition and innovation,” she said.

Ntonisani is the chief executive officer of Cowgirl Naturals, a company specialising in value-added agricultural products, including fruit-based goods and biltong. She said her work in value addition and youth advocacy contributed to her selection as a speaker.

“I believe I was invited to be a speaker because of my work at Cowgirl Naturals, a company focusing on value addition. My involvement in promoting youth participation in agriculture likely caught their attention,” she said.

Ntonisani highlighted several barriers affecting young people in the sector, including limited access to land, high certification costs and lack of innovation hubs.

“Youths also face challenges on accessing land. Land is expensive, certification of products is also expensive, lack of knowledge in value addition and we don’t have innovation hubs in schools,” she said.
Ntonisani will also showcase new products, including beef, chicken, pork and liver biltong, at the conference.

She urged stakeholders to invest in youth-driven agricultural innovation.

“My message will be. Let’s take advantage of Artificial Intelligence, let’s invest more in youths because they are the future farmers and future leaders. Young entrepreneurs should focus more on value addition,” she said.
Ends CKD PN