In this podcast, Hamza Rkha Chaham discusses how his startup uses satellite imagery to empower African farmers and increase crop yields. He talks about the challenges of starting a startup in Africa and the importance of support and data. The podcast also explores how the company supports farmers with insights and recommendations, and how financial institutions can use their services to manage risks. It emphasizes the need for balance in African agriculture and encourages focusing on specific territories.
Sowit leverages satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms to provide African farmers with actionable insights for optimizing irrigation, fertilization, and other critical decisions, ultimately increasing productivity and reducing waste.
Through partnerships with development agencies, Sowit addresses market challenges, adapts to local realities, and provides technical assistance for sustainable growth, emphasizing the importance of collaboration for impactful change in the African agricultural sector.
Deep dives
Revolutionizing Agriculture with Satellite Imagery
Hamza Rosh Shaham, the co-founder of Sowit, explains how their company helps farmers optimize their decision-making process by providing insights and data recommendations. They leverage satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms to transform satellite data into actionable insights for farmers to make informed choices about irrigation, fertilization, harvest, and other critical decisions. By measuring biophysical parameters, Sowit enables farmers to invest confidently in resources like nitrogen fertilizers and irrigation, optimizing productivity and reducing waste. Their data is also used by insurance banks and governments to assess creditworthiness and understand farming risks. Sowit's solutions are accessible through text alerts, mobile applications, and even agronomic call centers, tailored to suit the diverse connectivity levels of farmers in African countries.
Affordability and Partnerships Driving Adoption
Sowit ensures affordability of their services by pricing them below $10 per hectare annually, making it accessible for farmers. However, they also explore end-user finance models, where companies integrated within value chains or financial institutions finance the use of Sowit's data and insights. For instance, milk, yogurt, or dairy companies may pay for Sowit's services to ensure farmers produce high-quality crops. Financial institutions also leverage Sowit's data to assess creditworthiness when offering loans or insurance to farmers. By partnering with development agencies and working on programs funded by entities like USAID and the Dutch government, Sowit extends its reach to small-scale producers, optimizing the impact of their technology to improve lives and build sustainable relationships within the agricultural community.
Navigating Risks and Harnessing Africa's Potential
Hamza Rosh Shaham addresses the perception of Africa as a high-risk continent for business. He emphasizes the need for optimism and belief in Africa's growth potential, highlighting success stories in countries like Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. Sowit mitigates risks by working with local partners who understand the business landscape and by diversifying their exposure across complementary countries. They manage their market development as a portfolio, which includes government-led data projects, district producer expansion, and small-scale farmer aggregation through end-user finance mechanisms. By balancing profitability and improving lives, Sowit showcases the importance of partnerships with development agencies to tackle market challenges, adapt to local realities, and provide technical assistance for sustainable growth.
Agricultural productivity in Africa has lagged behind for decades, and now climate change is making things worse. But for Hamza Rkha Chaham, the prospect of helping African farmers increase crop yields prompted him to launch a startup that is transforming lives. Chaham was only 27 years old in 2018 when he co-founded SOWIT, a company that uses processed satellite imagery to provide farmers with invaluable data to optimize decisions related to irrigation and fertilization. In this podcast, he says startups in Africa can be challenging on many levels, but the rewards far outweigh the risks.