Matiedje Nkenmayi Gislaine leads Mumita Holdings to empower farmers through climate-smart agriculture, food processing, and sustainability solutions.
Founded in 2016 in Buea, Cameroon, Mumita Holdings is a youth-led agribusiness transforming how African food is grown, processed, and sold. The company was created to tackle food insecurity and the growing impact of climate change on agriculture. At the centre of this vision is co-founder and CEO, Matiedje Nkenmayi Gislaine, whose leadership has helped turn Mumita into one of the most innovative agribusinesses in the region.
About Mumita Holdings
Mumita focuses on African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs), culturally significant and nutrient-rich crops like bitter leaf, wild spinach, eru, and ndole. These are vital for local diets and also resilient in the face of changing weather patterns.
However, rain-fed agriculture in Cameroon has become unreliable due to erratic rainfall and extreme weather. To solve this, Mumita introduced climate-smart technologies such as low-cost greenhouses built from local materials and solar-powered irrigation systems. These ideas have helped farmers grow crops all year round, significantly boosting productivity and reducing dependency on unpredictable weather.
The impact
Reports as at 2023 reveals that the company managed to reduce the cost of traditional greenhouses from $2,500 to around $500, making them accessible to smallholder farmers. It also increased seedling production capacity from 1,500 to 25,000, enabling more consistent planting cycles.
In addition to farming support, Mumita built a strong food processing arm that now transforms crops like plantain, cassava, maize, and pineapple into products sold under the brands Mumita Foods, Praïs, and D’Farma. These processed goods are distributed to homes and supermarkets in over 10 countries, giving Cameroonian produce a wider global reach.
Mumita also manages over 580 hectares of farmland for large-scale clients through its agro-consulting services, working with governments, NGOs, and private investors to improve operational efficiency and productivity. It provides input management, field mapping, and strategic guidance while ensuring traceability and transparency in the supply chain.
The impact on local communities has been substantial. As of 2023, Mumita had trained over 2,300 farmers in 10 villages in the southwest region, Mbanga in the Littoral region, Bamenda in the Northwest, and Boumnybel. These farmers receive free training, seedlings, and ongoing technical support. The company employs more than 300 young people and has created a growing network of over 1,500 farmers and growers.
One of its breakthroughs came in 2021, when Matiedje won the African Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge. The award included a $100,000 grant and a 12-month accelerator program, which Mumita used to improve infrastructure, scale technology, and strengthen farmer livelihoods.
Now, Mumita aims to expand beyond Cameroon and reach other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The company is positioning itself as a leading force in building food systems that are both sustainable and scalable with its climate-smart approach.
