Silicon Savannah and smallholder farming: How can digitalization contribute to sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa?

Abstract

The development of smallholder agriculture in Africa faces numerous challenges. While digitalization is seen as a transformative opportunity for the continent's agricultural sector, there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness and impact of digital tools for smallholder farmers. This study examines the landscape of digital agriculture in Kenya, often called Africa's “Silicon Savannah,” to assess the current state and potential of these tools. The study seeks to answer two key questions: 1. To what extent can digital solutions for agriculture in Africa leverage the latest technological developments? 2. To what extent can these digital solutions effectively address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers? We developed a novel classification framework to categorize digital agricultural tools based on their physical attributes and analytical capabilities. A comprehensive stocktaking approach mapped digital tools across Kenya's agricultural value chains. Additionally, a literature review explored potential impact pathways through which digital tools can transform African agriculture, drawing on existing studies related to Kenya. The findings reveal that the number of digital tools available to smallholder farmers has tripled over the past decade, with a peak in new digital start-ups in 2016, followed by a slowdown. There is a shift from “generic” tools—focused on low-cost information exchange—toward “farm-specific” tools, offering tailored advisory services based on manual data input or sensor-generated data. Generic tools remain limited to information sharing, while farm-specific tools are increasingly using diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive capabilities, supported by satellite imagery and sensors. The analysis indicates digital tools can enhance farmers' knowledge and access to inputs, services, and markets, boosting productivity and income. However, there is limited evidence on their effects on food security, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. Due to the heterogeneity of tools and evaluation methods, there is a lack of quantifiable, attributable evidence on their full impact. This review highlights the crucial role of digital tools in overcoming agricultural challenges in Africa. By assessing these tools' capabilities, the study identifies significant advancements in sensor technologies and data analytics for smallholder farming. The findings underscore areas of high impact and untapped potential, calling for further research on their long-term effects on agricultural outcomes. • High hopes and intriguing initiatives are pinned on digitalization of agriculture. • There is little empirical evidence on actual state and extent of use by smallholder farmers. • We present a novel classification framework and explore digital tools impacts. • Established relevance for both “generic” and farm-specific” digital tools. • There is limited impact on food & nutrition security, environment and climate resilience.