Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture - CTA Publishing

savvy entrepreneur opted for a high-tech solution,
turning to 411 Get it, a joint ven ture
be tween Sa faricom and the Kenya Agri cultural
Commodity Exchange (KACE). Using his mobile
phone to access up-to-date commodity prices,
Kamau identified a favourable market.
Driving the local economy
But Kamau’s farming success was only the beginning
– not just for him, but for the entire rural
community. He invested in M-Kesho, an electronic
savings account which also offers short-term
loans to farmers. Other villagers started to open
M-Kesho accounts with the proceeds of crop
sales, using Kamau’s kiosk to make the transactions.
Kamau’s one-stop e-banking kiosk has simplified
money access, increasing the amount of
cash available to be spent in the local economy.
Producers no longer need to travel to towns, so
are more likely to spend their money closer to
home. Farm owners in the nearby town of Nakuru
no longer have to commute to Kamau’s village
to pay their casual labourers, using the young
businessman’s M-Pesa kiosk instead. Agro-vet
and other traders use M-Pesa to pay their suppliers
and spend the cash saved on transport
costs buying local stock and inputs. The entire
local economy has benefited as a result.
Like any good entrepreneur, Kamau has a knack
for spotting business opportunities, so when he
saw that his operating capital was declining during
the planting and weeding season, he decided
to diversify. Taking out a soft loan, he bought a
motorcycle, an ideal mode of transport for the
poor local roads, and as he was soon to find
out, an excellent way of making extra income.
Teaming up with a partner, the young Kenyan
launched a taxi service, a thriving business in
rural Kenya and one mainly dominated by youth.
Banker, farmer, taxi operator – Kamau has spread
his business interests over a wide range of sectors.
But the common denominator is ICTs. He
would never be where he is now if he had not
made them work for him.
Based on the original essay:
“Impacts of ICT on livelihoods: Experiences of a
Kenyan rural youth.” by Chris Mwangi.
Key references
Haas, S., Plyler, M.G. & Nagarajan, G. (2010) Outreach
of M-PESA System in Kenya: Emerging Trends
Financial assessment, Financial Service Assessment
Project.
Shaping the future of ACP rural development using ICTs... 45 |