Africa’s agriculture sector is at a turning point, shaped by rising demand, innovation, and the urgent need for resilience. To explore this shift, Africa Briefing spoke with three key voices: Jomy Antony of Horizon Group, Darren Lobo of Aavishkaar Capital, and Dr Markus Aschendorf of KfW. Their perspectives reveal both the challenges and opportunities ahead for African farming.
For Horizon Group CEO Jomy Antony, the future is not just about new tools but about connecting farmers to markets. His company links smallholder farmers to larger value chains, cutting post-harvest losses and boosting incomes. He believes Africa’s youth are already redefining farming through agritech innovations — from drone technology to AI soil testing. ‘The farmer’s job should not end at the farm gate,’ he said. ‘We must connect them all the way to the consumer.’
Darren Lobo of Aavishkaar Capital sees finance as the lifeblood of transformation. He argues that smallholder farmers need affordable credit, crop insurance, and mobile-based financial services to survive shocks like pests or erratic rains. More importantly, agriculture requires patient capital — long-term investment that matches farming’s seasonal cycles. ‘We cannot talk about food security without talking about capital flows,’ he said.
For KfW’s Dr Markus Aschendorf, policy and climate resilience are the real enablers. He emphasised blended finance models where public funds reduce risk for private investors, encouraging them to support rural infrastructure and irrigation. But he warned that inconsistent policies, insecure land tenure, and weak trade systems continue to discourage investors. Climate change, he added, makes resilience strategies like drought-resistant seeds and solar-powered irrigation non-negotiable.
Together, their insights highlight a clear path: Africa must move from subsistence to sustainability. Stronger value chains, innovative financing, and stable policies could unlock the sector’s potential, especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). With a population heading toward 1.5bn by 2030, Africa has no choice but to reinvent farming as both a livelihood and a growth engine.
As Antony put it: “This is Africa’s moment to take ownership of its food future.”
