Introduction

By Ventures Africa

Agriculture is quite integral to the economies of many African countries. About 60 per cent of the sub-Saharan population are smallholder farmers, and 23 per cent of the sub-Saharan GDP comes from just agriculture. But despite its importance, agriculture on the continent continues to lag in productivity due to factors such as climate change, insecurity, finance, lack of market access, storage facilities, and mechanization. 

Recently, technology has become a resolve for these problems. The need for a technological footprint has given rise to an agritech ecosystem on the continent. Startups in this space are proferring technological solutions to problems faced in the agricultural sector with ultra-modern technologies like drones, automated irrigation systems, soil sensors, etcetera.

Nonetheless, due to the limited number of players, Africa’s agri-tech space can be considered nascent. Significant investment is required for the ecosystem to see existing players maximize their potential and welcome new players. With a projected value of $1 trillion by 2030, the continent is poised to become one of the global centres of agri-tech solutions.