Farmers are turning to digital platforms to improve farming, according to Nedbank Commercial Banking.
Desry Lesele, Senior Manager for Agribusiness Client Value Propositions at Nedbank Commercial Banking said for decades, farming has been built around physical things you can see and touch: land, machinery, storage systems, and long-standing relationships with suppliers and buyers.
“Those things still matter, but another layer is increasingly being added to the mix: digital platforms that enable farmers to buy inputs, secure finance and make everyday decisions more efficiently.”
Lesele added that what stands out is not just that these tools exist, but how quickly they are being adopted in practical, everyday farming operations.
“South Africa already has the basic building blocks for this shift. Mobile phone use is almost universal, smartphones are widespread and, according to World Bank research, just short of 80% of the population now has internet access. In agriculture, digital tools are already helping farmers source inputs, compare, get advice, and access financial services.”
