Africa · Zimbabwe / Botswana General Public 5 September 2026

The caterpillar of the emperor moth Gonimbrasia belina, known in Zimbabwe as madora or amacimbi, feeds on mopane trees and is harvested in the wet season across Matabeleland, Masvingo and the lowveld. Nutritionally madora are remarkable. Dried mopane worms are roughly half protein by weight, with a favourable amino acid profile, and are a strong source of iron, zinc, calcium and B vitamins. Weight for weight they carry considerably more iron than beef, which matters in a country where iron-deficiency anaemia is common among women and children. Harvesting is traditionally women's work. The caterpillars are collected, degutted by squeezing, boiled in salted water and then sun-dried, after which they store for months without refrigeration. They are later rehydrated and fried with onion and tomato, or eaten dry as a snack. Beyond nutrition, madora are an important seasonal income source for rural households and are traded across borders into Botswana and South Africa. Sustainability is an increasing concern. Harvesting pressure, mopane woodland clearance and changing rainfall patterns have reduced yields in some districts. Community management agreements that limit harvesting during key breeding periods have been trialled with some success.

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