In 2021, Durban University of Technology through its newly established Centre for African Governance and Development (CAGD) entered into a Livelihoods and Export Aided Programme (LEAP) agreement with the African Economic Development Strategies (AEDS) which is based in Zimbabwe and led by Prof Gift Mugano.

Recently, Prof Nirmala Dorasamy (Head of CAGD at DUT) and Prof Fulu Netswera (Executive Dean: Faculty of Management Sciences at DUT) visited Zimbabwe. Together with Prof Gift Mugano (Head of AEDS), the two inspected the LEAP work that is being carried out in Manicaland Province in the rural irrigation schemes at Nyanyadzi and Mutambara villages. The pilot project entailed collaborative growing of onions and butternut by local farmers who are part of the LEAP project. Each farmer is allocated a target hectarage produce. Through this programme, AEDS secures among others seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and markets on behalf of the project members. Likewise, AEDS has secured off takers of the crops and also provides farmers with full time agronomists whose main task is to help the farmers with extension services and post-harvest crop management. The LEAP participating members in each community have grouped themselves to address strategic issues of cohesion such as the management of finance and security, among others.

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