This department’s core mandate is to promote the economic strengthening of rural communities through improving business skills and financial literacy. This is meant to increase the community’s resilience and reduce their vulnerability to environmental and economic shocks. The department’s main aim is to ‘wean’ small subsistence farmers from solely relying on donations and to equip them with knowledge and skills on how best to improve their livelihood. Focusing on a ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) mentality, the department provides farmers with solutions on how best to increase their income as households, thus improving their quality of life and nutrition.

The main thematic areas of the department include livelihoods development that improves the skills and knowledge the community has to have sustainable livelihoods. This involves farmer-produce value chains at household level and group processing units.  Market development and providing market linkages for the farmers’ produce is another core focus of the department. This entails improving access to markets, market information, and providing trade opportunities for communities.

Capacity building in microfinance and enterprise development has provided a platform for the department   to provide access to financial services, business training, and support for entrepreneurship. The department has managed this through providing machinery that allows for value addition through food processing thus encouraging communities to be agri-entrepreneurs. In addition, the department has contributed to farmers improved access to funds through the use of internal savings and lending schemes (ISALS), thus promoting financial inclusion for all.