Traditional Beer Brewing as a Socio-Economic Development Practice in Rural Zimbabwe: Indigenous Perspectives and Implications for Social Work Practice

Abstract

Rural communities in Zimbabwe face poverty and food insecurity amid fragmented and inadequate social protection in both rural and urban areas. Traditional beer brewing is an alternative socio-economic development for marginalised groups like women and low-income households. We explore the contribution of traditional beer brewing to rural socio-economic development in Zimbabwe and examine the challenges that threaten its sustainability as a survival strategy. Using a qualitative approach and autoethnographic design, data were collected through relational conversations and analysed thematically. Findings reveal that traditional beer brewing fosters income generation, financial resilience, and mutual aid through informal savings, funeral contributions, and labour-sharing. However, resource scarcity, commercialisation, and declining intergenerational knowledge threaten its sustainability. We advocate for integrating indigenous economic practices into broad socio-economic development strategies, recommending revitalising knowledge transfer, strengthening of cooperative savings, sustainable resource management, and policy recognition to ensure the long-term viability of traditional beer brewing in rural Zimbabwe.