Technology is changing how farming is done in East Africa, and one company that is taking the lead is East Africa Foods (EAF). The company was started in Tanzania by Elia Timotheo, and it is using modern digital tools to help small-scale farmers sell their goods in big towns and cities. This new approach is helping farmers earn more money and move their products faster and more efficiently.
East Africa Foods collects farm produce like potatoes, bananas, plantains, and onions from over 10,000 smallholder farmers. These farmers are based in different parts of Tanzania including Moshi-Kilimanjaro, Njombe, and Mbeya. After buying the farm produce from these areas, the company supplies them to more than 7,000 retailers across major towns such as Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar. Every week, the company handles about 14,500 crates of bananas, showing the large size of its operations.
To manage such a large number of farmers and retailers, EAF created a special digital system called the Farmer Management System. This system helps the company keep track of important information like how big each farm is, who owns the land, and when each crop is ready for harvest. This makes the process more transparent and helps the company know the quantity and quality of goods coming from each farmer. It also helps them plan better and deliver fresher goods to their buyers.
In April 2025, East Africa Foods introduced a new mobile app called SokoChap. The app is designed to make things easier for wholesalers, retailers, and the delivery team. Instead of placing orders through phone calls, users can now order goods through the app. The app also sends real-time updates and allows users to manage payments and deliveries more efficiently. This change has made the whole process faster and more reliable.
Recently, the company also expanded outside of Tanzania for the first time by launching operations in Nairobi, Kenya. In Kenya, EAF is selling its rice product known as Onja and a potato product called Potato King. This move shows the company’s interest in growing bigger and reaching more farmers and consumers across East Africa.
But EAF is not the only one using technology to improve agriculture. Other companies in Africa are also doing similar things. One example is Selina Wamucii, a Kenyan agricultural company. It uses mobile technology to link smallholder farmers with buyers, and payments are made through mobile money services like M-Pesa. Another innovation is Kuzi, an artificial intelligence tool that gives early warning alerts about locust attacks. This helps farmers protect their crops before they are damaged.
These new technologies are very important as farmers continue to face challenges like poor access to markets, climate change, and problems in the supply chain. With digital solutions, farming is becoming more productive, losses are reducing, and farmers are earning more money. As more African countries adopt these tools, there is hope that agriculture will become more modern and more profitable for everyone involved.
