Despite agriculture being a significant contributor to sub-Saharan Africa’s economy, its exploding population puts the region at the highest global risk for food insecurity. Agricultural productivity in the region must meet the growing domestic demand and the needs of global markets. However, the central actors, smallholder farmers, face chronic challenges marketing their produce in high-value markets. While local agricultural policies encourage smallholder farmers and give them education and access, subsistence mindsets are believed to hold them back. This study approaches this challenge from a different, farmer-centric view and proposes a new construct reflecting sustained and meaningful marketing activity—smallholder market participation. With survey data from 464 smallholder farmer-entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, we reveal how market orientation, access to ancillary services, functional literacy, entrepreneurial abilities, and marketplace metacognition allowed them to beat the odds and grow in the market. We document financial and non-financial outcomes, such as increasing credibility in the marketplace. Our findings offer agribusiness marketers and policymakers more precise indicators of smallholder engagement with markets. The study contributes to marketing theory by highlighting the marketing caliber of an understudied actor, the smallholder farmer.

尽管农业是撒哈拉以南非洲经济的重要贡献者，但其人口激增使该地区面临全球粮食不安全风险最高的地区。该地区的农业生产力必须满足不断增长的国内需求和全球市场的需求。然而，作为核心参与者的小农在高价值市场营销他们的产品时面临着长期的挑战。虽然当地的农业政策鼓励小农户并为他们提供教育和机会，但据信自给自足的心态阻碍了他们的发展。本研究从不同的、以农民为中心的观点来应对这一挑战，并提出了一个反映持续和有意义的营销活动的新结构——小农市场参与. 通过来自津巴布韦 464 名小农企业家的调查数据，我们揭示了市场导向、辅助服务的获取、实用素养、创业能力和市场元认知如何使他们能够克服困难并在市场中成长。我们记录财务和非财务成果，例如提高市场信誉。我们的研究结果为农业企业营销人员和政策制定者提供了更准确的小农市场参与指标。该研究通过强调未被充分研究的参与者（小农）的营销能力，为营销理论做出了贡献。