How Botswana’s mAgri platform is connecting Africa’s farming communities without internet
Both the digital divide between rural and urban areas and the divide between those with and without access to the Internet reinforce existing social inequalities in Botswana. The country’s agriculture sector, which contributes about 2% of GDP, employs millions of farmers nationwide. Despite a significant farming population living in rural areas, internet access is limited to only 10% of rural households, compared to 40% in urban areas. Smallholder farmers face a multitude of challenges, including rising costs of fertilizers and pesticides, unpredictable weather patterns, low bargaining power, and operational footprint, among others. Utilization of technology that promotes digital inclusion can overcome some of these challenges and create opportunities for smallholder farmers to thrive.
One such solution is Brastrone’s mAgri platform, which connects the unconnected and empowers farmers to secure affordable inputs, mitigate weather risks, and increase access to commercial markets. mAgri is a mobile application that uses Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) technology to allow farmers to search for and compare prices on various farming products, and for them to market their products across the country using any type of phone (including a basic phone). The technology connects the user’s phone to a telecommunications network, which creates a real-time connection that can be used for a two-way exchange of information. Brastrone’s services also feature two other apps – Mpotsa, an SMS-based Q&A platform that provides rural unconnected mobile users with timely and localized information, and Vuka, which allows both basic phones and smartphones to create profiles, chat, broadcast messages, etc, without having to connect to the internet.
The mAgri platform is designed for users who do not have access to data plans and smartphones. Farming communities can access this service for US$1.40 per month, which is estimated to save costs by 85% compared to other alternatives. Brastrone’s partnership with the telecom giant Orange Botswana has also helped it scale its services and deliver new design features to improve its services. This is particularly important in Africa as many countries in the region have some of the world’s most expensive costs for mobile data. The continent hosts five out of the ten most expensive countries worldwide, with Zimbabwe leading both the regional and global standing at an average of US$43.75 for 1GB, followed by South Sudan at US$23.7, the Central African Republic at US$10.9, Zambia at US$8.01, and Seychelles at US$5.43.
With Brastrone’s mAgri platform, farmers can access agricultural farming tips and weather alerts, set up a business profile containing their products, access markets, interact with other farmers within the agricultural ecosystem, and explore additional information. Brastrone’s products are focused on local environments where bandwidth limitations are an issue and mobile data is expensive, which can be a solution for many countries in Africa.
