Agriculture remains the backbone of Africa’s economy, supporting millions of livelihoods and feeding a rapidly growing population. Yet challenges like climate change, supply chain inefficiencies, and limited farmer access to finance and technology continue to hinder progress. Fortunately, agritech solutions are revolutionising the sector, empowering farmers, improving productivity, and driving sustainability.
The AgriTech Award at Africa Tech Summit recognises companies that are transforming food production, distribution, and market access across the continent.
Meet the finalists
AFEX (Nigeria): Efficient trade is key to strengthening Africa’s agricultural value chain. AFEX is a platform business that connects smallholder farmers with inputs, finance, storage, and markets—ensuring improved productivity and better trade opportunities. Through Africa Exchange, a digital commodities trading platform, AFEX facilitates seamless investment and trade in agricultural commodities, bridging the gap between capital markets and the commodities sector.
ChipChip (Ethiopia): Farmers often struggle with market access and fair pricing. ChipChip is a digital agricultural e-commerce platformthat leverages a “social buying” model inspired by Ethiopia’s Kircha tradition—encouraging group purchases to reduce food costs and increase farmer earnings. By connecting farmers directly with consumers and B2B buyers, ChipChip eliminates middlemen, minimizes food waste, and enables bulk sales—benefiting both producers and consumers.
Keep it Cool (Kenya): Cold chain inefficiencies lead to massive food losses in Africa. Raino Tech4Impact is tackling this challenge with solar-powered freezers, refrigerated transport, and a digital marketplace (Markiti) that streamlines market access for fish and poultry farmers. Their Growers Model also trains small-scale farmers—especially women—helping them reduce post-harvest losses, improve incomes, and promote sustainable food systems.
Mazao AgClimate Limited (Tanzania): Soil degradation and climate challenges threaten food production. MazaoHub AgClimate is revolutionizing farming through AI-powered precision agriculture—offering soil testing kits, remote sensing tools, and personalized agronomy advice to smallholder farmers. Their Rural Farmer Excellence Centers (FECs) provide on-the-ground support, ensuring farmers receive climate-smart recommendations to enhance productivity while protecting the environment.
Winich Farms (Nigeria): Smallholder farmers often lack access to reliable buyers and financial services. Winich Farms is solving this by connecting informal food processors and retailers with farmers via mobile technology. Their AI-driven platform builds credit scores for farmers based on transaction history, unlocking access to much-needed financing. By bridging the gap between producers and buyers, Winich Farms is enhancing efficiency and financial inclusion in the agricultural sector.
Why this matters
Agriculture is Africa’s greatest economic opportunity, and technology is the key to scaling production, reducing food waste, and improving market access. These finalists are not just increasing yields, they are empowering farmers, creating resilient food systems, and strengthening Africa’s agricultural economy.
