Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the South African economy. In addition to its positive contribution to GDP, it has the potential to create a large number of much-needed jobs. Despite this, smallholder farmers continue to struggle with building sustainable businesses. This is particularly true for women in poor and rural communities.
Connected Farmer is a digital application developed by Vodacom with the aim of addressing this challenge by providing smallholder women farmers with digital skills and connecting them with consumer markets.
Mpho Sethojane, Business Development Specialist at Vodacom, and Matete Mokgetlhe, founder of South African Women in Farming (SAWIF), provided some insights on the app during a panel discussion held during the Trialogue Business in Society Virtual Conference 2021.
Connected Farmer: Partnering with SAWIF and UN Women
Connected Farmer was piloted in 2018, in partnership with South African Women in Farming (SAWIF) and UN Women. SAWIF coordinates and supports women and youth in the agricultural sector, with the goal of assisting them to become farmers who contribute to economic growth and food security in South Africa. The organisation also aims to create wealth and prosperity for its members.
“We have a footprint in all nine provinces of the country as well as youth structures with our national office based in Polokwane, where the organisation was founded,” explained Mokgetlhe.
Connected Farmer is premised on the belief that if sustainable agricultural development is to translate into food security and economic growth, then the active engagement of women is imperative. As such, the app leverages Vodacom’s ICT skills, expertise, and infrastructure to create opportunities for smallholder farmers to participate in the agricultural economy. Through the app, real-time information on what farmers are producing, and in which regions, is shared with consumer markets, including large retailers.
The project has been rolled out in a phased approach. In the first phase, members of SAWIF in rural parts of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal received ICT skills training to enable them to use the app. The second phase entailed the digitisation of the programme’s database. At total of 700 smallholder farmers are now registered on Connected Farmer. In the next phase of the project, smallholder farmers registered on the database will have direct access to consumer markets, while in the financial phase, Vodacom’s financial services offering will be integrated into the app.
Developing the agricultural economy through tech
The Connected Farmer project and partnership between Vodacom, SAWIF and UN Women highlights the important role technology can play in the sustainable development and growth of the agricultural economy.
“We come from a technology perspective to assist and overlay technology to enhance efficiencies in the value chain,” explained Sethojane. “In this way, Connected Farmer can deliver on social imperatives while creating commercial benefit for end users,” he added.
Connected Farmer was developed on the back of extensive research and collaboration between Vodacom and its implementing partners. This allowed for in-depth insights into the agricultural sector, and an understanding of the needs of smallholder farmers. The app overlays technology on existing operations, which was made possible through collaboration with SAWIF and UN Women, both of which have a track record of supporting women in farming.
The involvement of youth in farming is an opportunity which has not been fully tapped and the panel agreed that technology can play an important role in attracting young people to farming.
Written by Connie Huma
Image: Gugulethu Mfuphi
Photo taken by Janelle Strydom
