Built from the Ground Up: The Sunfare Story Since 1995
Every business has a beginning. For Sunfare, that beginning was a farm, a family and a commitment to building something in Zambia from the ground up.
In 1995, the Naude family arrived in Zambia and established a farm from raw bush on the Copperbelt. What started as a farming operation would eventually become the foundation of a much broader business group, shaped by more than three decades of practical experience, problem-solving and innovation.
Today, Sunfare Group brings together five specialised businesses across agriculture, biological solutions, farmer support, mining, equipment and technology.
One history. One philosophy. Five specialised businesses.
It Started with Farming
Farming became the foundation of the Sunfare story.
Through commercial crop and banana production, irrigated agriculture and fresh produce, the farm became more than a place of production. It became a practical environment for learning, testing and finding better ways to farm.
Years of working directly with the land taught the Sunfare team an important lesson: productive agriculture begins beneath the surface.
Healthy crops depend on healthy soils.
This understanding became the starting point for a new chapter in the business.
From Farming to Regeneration
Rather than simply treating the symptoms of poor soil and declining plant performance, Sunfare began looking more closely at the systems behind productive agriculture.
Composts, biological inputs and regenerative farming practices were developed and tested through the commercial farming operation.
The goal was practical: improve soil function, strengthen plants and create farming systems that could remain productive over the long term.
What began as solutions developed for Sunfare Farming eventually became the foundation for Sunfare Bio Solutions, taking regenerative and biological solutions beyond the farm.
Supporting Other Farmers
The next step was to make quality agricultural products, knowledge and support more accessible to other farmers.
This led to Sunfare Agri Market.
The concept goes beyond simply supplying agricultural inputs. Farmers need access to products, but they also need knowledge, technical support, reliable suppliers and access to markets.
Sunfare Agri Market brings these elements together through agricultural inputs, regenerative products, irrigation solutions, equipment, technical support, outgrower programmes and crop marketing opportunities.
The philosophy is simple:
Inputs + knowledge + support + production + markets.
A New Chapter in the Copperbelt
Sunfare’s work with land and environmental restoration opened another path.
Practical involvement in historically affected areas created experience in material recovery, rehabilitation, earthworks and operational projects.
This experience developed into Sunfare Mining Solutions, providing practical mining, industrial and restoration capabilities.
While agriculture and mining may appear to be very different industries, they share many of the same operational challenges: equipment, productivity, logistics, safety, material movement and effective resource management.
That connection became important in Sunfare’s next stage of development.
Equipment Meets Intelligence
The need for better machinery and greater operational control led to the development of Sunfare MCM Equipment & Robotics.
Today, MCM connects equipment with modern technology, including machinery sourcing, fleet monitoring, GPS tracking, equipment utilisation, precision agriculture, automation, robotics and AI-supported systems.
The objective is not technology for technology’s sake.
It is about using better equipment and better information to help businesses make better operational decisions.
Smarter equipment. Better information. Better operations.
One Connected Sunfare
Today, Sunfare Group consists of five specialised businesses:
- Sunfare Farming provides the practical agricultural foundation.
- Sunfare Bio Solutions develops regenerative and biological solutions from farming experience.
- Sunfare Agri Market connects farmers with agricultural inputs, knowledge, support and markets.
- Sunfare Mining Solutions provides practical mining, industrial and restoration capabilities.
- MCM Equipment & Robotics connects machinery with monitoring, automation and intelligent technology.
Each division has its own role, but they are not separate stories.
They are connected.
The knowledge gained through farming informs regeneration. Regeneration becomes products and programmes. Farmer support takes these solutions into the wider agricultural community. Mining and restoration build on Sunfare’s practical operational capabilities, while equipment and technology support both agriculture and industry.
This creates an ecosystem built around one philosophy: practical experience, responsible development and continuous improvement.
Built in Zambia. Building for the Future.
More than 30 years after the Sunfare story began, the business continues to evolve. The industries may have expanded, but the foundation remains the same: real work, practical experience and a commitment to building in Zambia. From the soil beneath a farm to the machinery operating on a project site, Sunfare continues to look for better ways to produce, restore, support and innovate.
PRODUCE. RESTORE. REGENERATE. INNOVATE.
That is the Sunfare story.
And it is still being written.
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