We have officially launched our flagship service mAgri in Cameroon. Although the service will be marketed under the name Myfarm, it continues to give farmers access to agricultural information, marketplaces and short-term financing – providing much needed support to smallholder farmers in Cameroon.
According to Joseline Lalon, Head of Consumer Segments and Multiservices at Orange Cameroon – “The benefits to the rural farmers of Cameroon are many. Affordable internet will give them access to information, markets and a community they otherwise would not have had access to. The mAgri solution also requires little bandwidth, making feature phones smart by bypassing the need for high-speed networks or expensive infrastructure.”
“In today’s always – online digital world, digital access equates to opportunity, making the internet a basic human right. At Brastorne, we believe every African, regardless of where they live or their resources, deserves access to information, markets and community through easy and affordable internet access,” says Brastorne Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Martin Stimela.
This is no less different in the country of Cameroon, where agriculture is the largest contributor to household income and most families live off subsistence farming. These farms are often located in rural areas where internet access is unavailable or far too expensive. Easy and affordable internet would make a meaningful difference for the unconnected farmers and the economy of Cameroon as a whole.
Agriculture is one of the largest income sources in Cameroon, with approximately 90% of Cameroonian households having found employment in the agriculture sector. With access to information through internet connectivity, farmers in the agriculture sector can produce even greater yield, while also gaining access to local markets.
To bring its mission of connecting the unconnected to Cameroon, Brastorne partnered with Orange Cameroon, through its long-standing relationship with Orange mobile group, which includes Orange Botswana, Orange DRC as well as Orange France. Through the partnership Orange advises which countries would be an ideal fit for Brastorne’s mAgri solution, it is these countries that the organization then expands into. Orange Cameroon was the first telco to express interest in working with Brastorne after Orange DRC.
“This is another great stride for us in connecting unconnected communities in Africa. Given Brastorne’s success in Botswana and solution scalability, last year we launched our mAgri solution in the Democratic Republic of Congo in partnership with Orange DRC and Mercy Corps and have reached nearly 2 million users in Africa so far,” said Brastorne Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer, Naledi Magowe.
To learn more about Brastorne and its impact in Africa visit www.brastorne.com
