DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE

The new face of African agriculture

2025-06-12
PACT

A panorama of technological transformations across the continent

Benissan Barrigah – edited by PACT

For generations, agriculture has been the backbone of African economies and the heartbeat of rural life. More than just a job, farming shapes the daily realities and futures of millions across the continent. Even today, agriculture and the wider agri-food sector provide work for over 60% of Africa’s people and up to 80% in rural areas. In some countries, like Niger, it contributes nearly half of the GDP, making it vital not just for livelihoods, but for national stability and growth.

But despite its central importance, African agriculture faces stubborn challenges. Low productivity, limited access to resources, vulnerability to climate change, poor infrastructure, and fragmented markets continue to hold the sector back. These pressures are made even worse by external shocks, conflicts and health crises that push millions deeper into food insecurity. In 2024, about 163 million Africans faced acute food shortages, more than 10% of the continent’s population. The cost of inaction is high, threatening both stability and food sovereignty, while increasing reliance on imports.

Market by kwizera-theogene

In the face of these major challenges, technological innovation is opening up real, practical solutions to help transform Africa’s agriculture. Across the continent, Agritech, the use of digital tools and new technologies in farming, horticulture, and aquaculture, is paving the way for a profound shift. By boosting productivity, efficiency, profitability, and sustainability, Agritech is helping African agriculture move beyond traditional subsistence farming toward a future that is more productive, resilient, and economically robust.

According to Dr. Ehui Simeon, in the recent Brookings Institution report, Foresight Africa, TOP Priorities for the Continent 2025-2030: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) also has the potential to transform Africa’s agricultural sector, supporting the continent’s progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing food security, resilience, and sustainability.”

Some of the most promising “innovations” already making a difference on the ground include:

  • AI, Big Data, and precision agriculture: smarter use of resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides to boost yields and cut costs, think fertilization maps and real-time irrigation alerts.
  • Satellite imagery combined with AI: identifying vulnerable regions so farmers and authorities can act early against droughts or pest outbreaks, making prevention possible.
  • Blockchain: bringing more transparency and traceability to the value chain, while making it easier for farmers to access finance and connect with markets, whether through crop tracking or microcredit.
  • Biotechnologies: developing crop varieties that can better withstand climate change and local diseases, such as drought-resistant maize.

These advances are just the beginning, but they show the enormous potential of Agritech to improve the lives of African farmers and drive real progress against poverty. 

But what does this look like in practice? 

Across Africa, bold new ideas are taking root, turning promise into progress and technology into real-world impact. Let’s look at a few inspiring examples where Agritech is already making a difference on the ground.

Hello Tractor: on-demand agricultural mechanization

Hello Tractor, launched in 2014 by Jehiel Oliver, is a pioneering initiative that addresses the mechanization gap for Africa’s smallholder farmers. Nicknamed “the Uber of tractors,” it relies on a mobile platform coupled with connected sensors (IoT). This system directly connects small producers to tractor owners, giving them affordable and reliable access to mechanization. This model solves a crucial challenge: farmers’ inability to buy their own tractors and the expensive, unreliable nature of informal networks. Hello Tractor thus creates a virtuous cycle, increasing farmers’ productivity while maximizing the value of underused equipment.

Impact at a glance:

  • Scale: Over 1 million farmers connected to 5,000 tractor owners across 16 countries.
  • Productivity & income: Agricultural tasks completed 40× faster and at 3× lower cost for farmers; notable increase in farmer income.
  • Inclusion: Easier access to mechanized services for women and youth through the Pay-As-You-Gomodel; Income increases of +138% in Kenya and +42% in Nigeria.
    • 0% expected loan losses and only 1.5% non-performing loans.
    • Net profitability of 7.2% compared to -6.8% on average in the NBFI sector.
  • Employment & reduced labor: Over 6,000 jobs created. Mechanization reduces drudgery, freeing up time for other activities.
African Farmer by PACT Pictures

SunCulture: solar irrigation for resilient agriculture

SunCulture, founded in 2012 in Kenya by Samir Ibrahim, is a leading Agritech company specializing in solar-powered irrigation solutions for smallholder farmers. It directly addresses the major challenges of water scarcity and high energy costs in Africa.

Its flagship product is a complete solar water pump system, allowing farmers to irrigate their land without relying on rainfall or expensive diesel generators. This technology is a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuel pumps, which cost farmers over $2 billion annually while being responsible for significant carbon emissions.

SunCulture goes beyond mere technology provision by designing, manufacturing, financing, installing, and maintaining its systems. Access to this equipment is made easier through a progressive payment model (Pay-As-You-Grow), and the company also trains farmers in climate-smart agricultural practices.

Impact at a glance:

  • Leadership & reach: No.1 distributor of solar irrigation kits for smallholder farmers in Africa, with 50% market share in East Africa and +60,000 farmers equipped.
  • Income & productivity: average income up by 50% in the first year; potential to multiply income by 5 over time.
  • Resilience & sustainability: farmers are less dependent on rainfall and fossil fuels, becoming more resilient to climate change and adopting sustainable agriculture.

Farmerline: empowering smallholders through digital tools and market access

Founded in 2013 in Ghana by Alloysius Attah and Emmanuel Addai, Farmerline is a social Agritech enterprise that seeks to transform rural smallholders into successful agricultural entrepreneurs by optimizing their success with essential information, inputs, and services.

At the heart of its innovation is Mergdata, an award-winning digital platform (including Darli AI) offering a comprehensive agricultural management and communication system. Through mobile technology and data science, producers have access to a range of digital services: training, weather forecasts, agronomic advice in local languages, farm management tools, and facilitated connections with input suppliers and potential buyers. Additionally, Farmerline manages a digital trading platform to aggregate harvests and connect them to markets. This integrated model (training → inputs → financing → market access) breaks the vicious cycle of low yields and low income.

Impact at a glance:

  • Expansive reach : Over 300,000 farmers directly supported; 1.7 million reached via the Mergdata platform in 48 countries.
    • 1 million users of the Darli AI Helpline, who receive real-time advice on topics ranging from fertilizer use to crop rotation and market access.
  • Productivity & income: 89% of farmers report increased productivity, leading to significantly improved incomes.
  • Ripple effects : Beyond individual gains, Farmerline contributes to food security and environmental conservation, creating positive and lasting change at the community and ecosystem levels.

Digital Earth Africa: Earth Observation for Sustainable Development

Inheriting the African Regional Data Cube (ARDC), Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) is a pan-African, open-access satellite data platform. It transforms decades of earth imagery into actionable insights for sustainable development, directly benefiting the agricultural sector. Thanks to DE Africa, the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of food systems are strengthened, enabling governments and stakeholders to anticipate shortages and guide food security policies effectively.

Practical Applications:

In Ethiopia, DE Africa is making a real difference in agriculture and community resilience : 

  • Irrigation optimization and water management: the Ministry of Agriculture uses DE Africa’s satellite data to accurately map irrigated areas, track seasonal variations, and measure water consumption. This leads to more targeted water policies and advice for farmers, helping to save water, stabilize yields, and reduce losses.
  • Flood early warning systems: the Ministry of Water and Energy combines DE Africa’s historical data with satellite imagery to pinpoint areas prone to flooding. By integrating advanced methodologies from CGIAR on fragility, conflict, and migration, they’ve built effective early warning systems. These alerts enable both local authorities and rural communities to take preventive action, minimizing losses, safeguarding livelihoods, and keeping people safe.

DE Africa’s tools are now integrated into major national programs, such as the Ethiopia Flood Management Project (EFMP), which aims to strengthen the resilience of nearly 34 million people.

Diwasa, Illustration by Digital Earth Africa

This example clearly shows how, when technology is fully integrated into public policy, it can transform how countries manage climate risks, boost food security, and build lasting resilience at the national level.

Call to Action

With food insecurity rising and demographic pressures mounting, Africa’s agriculture sector must transform, and quickly. The success stories emerging from Agritech across the continent already prove what’s possible: new income opportunities, stronger climate resilience, and a new era of modern, productive farming. Expanding internet connectivity and rapid innovation, combined with Africa’s vast untapped arable land, present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle our food and economic challenges for good.

But realizing this promise takes action and collaboration from all corners—starting now:

  • Governments: adopt bold agricultural policies, invest heavily in rural infrastructure, and create regulatory environments that spark innovation.
  • Investors: bring patient, strategic capital that fits local needs and helps Agritech solutions take root and grow.
  • Technical partners & development organizations: speed up technology transfer, build local capacity, and support widespread adoption of new agricultural solutions.
  • African entrepreneurs: keep designing and rolling out practical, inclusive, and scalable innovations that meet farmers’ real needs and drive rapid change on the ground.

Agriculture is the backbone of life and the economy for countless African communities, and its power to transform the continent is greater than ever. With strategic focus and united effort, Africa’s agriculture could become a trillion-dollar sector by 2030, unlock millions of skilled jobs for young people, and reshape the future for hundreds of millions. The cost of waiting is too high. The moment to act is now, let’s seize it, together.

For further reading on the challenges and root causes of food insecurity in Africa, see “Food Insecurity in Africa: An In-depth Overview” by PACT (2023). Available at: https://africanpact.org/2023/08/04/food-insecurity-in-africa-an-in-depth-overview/

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