During his participation in an African Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon, Kondwani Ngulube was motivated to tackle the challenges that afflict the agricultural industry. To substantiate his findings, he conducted interviews with over 100 agricultural stakeholders and farmers. Notably, he discovered that obtaining clean and accurate data on the agriculture supply chain, such as market intelligence, crop inputs like feed and modern production techniques, was a significant issue across the industry.
As a result, Kondwani joined forces with Brighton Mboya to develop a prototype that would address this challenge. After winning the African AI Hackathon, they co-founded Shamba Data, a venture that employs AI to connect African farmers to the agriculture supply chain. At present, Shamba Data serves as an agricultural data hub for Zambian farmers, providing them with real-time market intelligence for the Zambian industry.
What is the accomplishment to date that your team is most proud of?
Shamba Data has already onboarded over 350 farmers onto its platform, and the venture is scheduled to launch by mid-July 2023. The company is on track to generate nearly $2000 in revenue during its first month of operation.
If you could give advice to another founder getting started, what would that be?
“First, find a great co-founder. Next, talk to users early to spot their problems. Then build an MVP fast to solve those problems. Keep iterating on your prototype using user feedback. Finally, figure out if they are willing to pay for it. In the beginning, I think this is what matters most.”
Looking forward, Shamba Data plans to acquire more than 2000 farmers to their platform by the end of 2023. They are also building an online platform that will connect farmers to buyers and agricultural input suppliers with ease.
You can learn more about Shamba Data
More News & Events
Skip scroller contentCandidate Nominations for the ALU Public Sector Fellowship Program
African Leadership University (ALU) is thrilled to share an exceptional opportunity for public sector leaders championing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) projects. The ALU Public Sector Fellowship, now entering its third year, is a dynamic, 8-month, part-time program designed to empower leaders with essential skills to elevate service delivery and tackle Africa’s pressing […]
[Watch] Heavy Risk – An Environmental & Occupational Health Documentary
In Ghana’s Shama District, the rice fields of Whin Valley hold immense agricultural potential, providing food and livelihoods to the local community and beyond. But beneath this fertile land, a hidden story unfolds. Three Mastercard Foundation Scholars from the University of Toronto set out to explore how local farming practices and nearby #Galamsey (illegal mining) […]
From Bedside to Big Data: A Nurse’s Transition to Health Informatics
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the intersection of clinical expertise and technological innovation is where the most significant impacts are made. My journey from nursing to health informatics is a testament to this shift—a journey that began with hands-on patient care and led me to the forefront of digital health solutions. This transition wasn’t […]
African Women Innovating in Health Care
This year, FemSTEM Africa engaged over 200 health innovators and enthusiasts through a series of events, concluding in a pitch competition and interactions with seasoned entrepreneurs. The five-part event series was organized by the University of Toronto’s Health Innovation Hub (H2i) in partnership with Social Enterprise (SE) Ghana, Sustineri Attorneys, supported by funding from the […]