Animals and people perform the task of tractors. Within the household there may be one or more oxen. The productivity of the household's land and consequently its wealth and status will be dependant on the number of oxen the household owns. Many small-scale farms cannot afford oxen and must rely on hand labour and simple tools. Both men and women carry out the various tasks such as field preparation, weeding and harvesting.
Women tend to spend more time working on the land.
It is also the women's responsibility for carrying out many of the domestic chores such as preparing maize meal or Nshima. Often children work looking after the livestock. Crucially the marketing of the maize is the task of the men whilst the women will sell sweet potatoes or other cash crops produced. Economic power rests with the family member who negotiates the selling of the maize crop. The wealth of the family and its ability to generate income depends on a number of factors such as cash crop income, family size, number of oxen, number of adult members and wives, level of maize produced, and the amount of fertiliser applied.