By Ayomide Otitoju
The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) has released its MEST Africa AgriTech Report, detailing the technologies, startups, and trends reshaping agriculture across West Africa.
Produced as part of the 2024 edition of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy in Accra, the report highlights how local innovators are leveraging mobile technology, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and solar-powered systems to address challenges such as post-harvest losses, market inefficiencies, and financing gaps that limit African farmers.
“Agriculture has always been the backbone of West Africa’s economy, but today we’re seeing a new chapter driven by innovation, local ingenuity, and technology,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor and MAC Lead at MEST Africa. “This report captures that transformation and calls for greater collaboration between entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to ensure AgriTech benefits every farmer.”
The report draws on data and case studies from Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Benin, spotlighting over 40 AgriTech startups creating measurable impact. Notable examples include Ghana’s SAYeTECH, winner of the MEST Africa Challenge 2024, which produces locally adapted mechanization tools, and Nigeria’s ColdHubs, whose solar-powered cold rooms have saved more than 40,000 tons of produce from spoilage.
While ecosystem enablers such as MEST Africa, Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC), and CcHUB continue to nurture talent and provide seed capital, the report notes that AgriTech receives only about 4% of Africa’s venture funding, highlighting untapped opportunities for investors to support solutions that drive food security and inclusive growth.
“Our goal with this report is not only to spotlight innovation but to drive collaboration,” Ravichandran added. “By investing in data, infrastructure, and people, Africa’s AgriTech ecosystem can scale sustainably, ensuring technology works for the farmer first.”
Since 2008, MEST Africa has trained over 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in more than 90 startups. The MEST Africa Challenge remains its flagship pan-African pitch competition, designed to identify, support, and scale high-potential technology ventures.
