Background: Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] in Zambia is a valuable source of cheap protein, complement to the food systems and value chains in rural and urban areas despite the low productivity. This study aimed to document the present level of cowpea production, identify constraints affecting cowpea production among smallholder farmers and prioritize trait preferences in a cowpea variety as a guide to pre-breeding programs in Zambia. Methods: Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) was used to collect data from cowpea production areas in Zambia’s Eastern, Southern and Northern provinces. The PRA was conducted during the 2017/18 cropping season. Information was solicited from 187 farmers using interview questionnaires with a further focused group discussions with 7 groups. Result: Cowpea is perceived to be ‘a woman’s crop’ in rural areas of Zambia but the present data showed that the frequency of female farmers who were directly involved in cowpea production in the study areas was relatively low at 44.00 per cent. About 93.60 per cent, the respondents were cultivating unimproved, local cowpea landraces, while the remainder (6.40 per cent) cultivated a few introduced varieties. The most important constraints of cowpea production in the study areas were identified by the respondents as poor varieties with low yield potential (45.10 per cent), pests and diseases (18.10 per cent) and the lack of modern production inputs (14.80 per cent). The farmers indicated that high yield potential, insect pest and disease resistance and good eating quality were the most important traits in a variety.