Digifarm empowers Kenya’s smallholder farmers

Digifarm, a subsidiary of Safaricom, is leveraging technology to empower farmers in Kenya, drawing inspiration from the success of M-PESA in promoting financial inclusion at the grassroots level

“Today, everybody can access mobile money on their phone. That is the vision for Digifarm. 25 years from now, I want you to look back and look at how technology will have transformed agriculture in this country. 80% of our food is from small-holder farmers, so we must enable our farmers. And technology is the way to do it,” said Seema Gohil, Digifarm’s director.

The platform is accessible to all farmers across Kenya, regardless of their location or farm size. Digifarm delivers tailored digital solutions and services directly to farmers’ phones through two main arms: Kilimo and Soko.

Kilimo, the agriculture-focused arm, integrates digital technology, artificial intelligence, partnerships, and farmer services to meet the full spectrum of smallholder needs. Through Kilimo, farmers gain access to digital extension services, agricultural inputs, financial services, and training programmes designed to enhance their skills and productivity.

Soko, the marketplace arm, connects farmers directly with buyers, cooperatives, and processors across multiple value chains. The platform also provides market-oriented services, such as digital tracking of sales and inventory, maintaining sales records to qualify for future credit, and enabling instant payments via M-PESA.

Having spent the past two decades driving financial inclusion through M-PESA in Kenya and beyond, Safaricom now aims to extend its impact into agriculture through Digifarm.

“The entire ecosystem of farmers in this country needs support. Because if farming is nearly half of the people in the country, from an employment perspective, and nearly a third of the GDP of the country, then making sure that farmers are thriving is critical to our success as Safaricom and critical to the economic success of the country,” explained Michael Mutiga, chief business development and strategy officer at Safaricom.

For farmers, Digifarm is designed to be a simple and trusted digital companion. For banks, agribusinesses, and other stakeholders, it provides a platform with data, scale, and direct access to millions of farmers. For Safaricom, Digifarm represents a strategic component in the telco’s mission to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030.