Africa Series with Adejoke Adekunle: Hello Tractor - Power (tractors) to the people (farmers)! Pay-as-you-go financing with Mastercard

In this episode, we discuss farm mechanization in Africa, how Mastercard accelerates the Hello Tractor vision to close the mechanization gap in Africa and how the company uses data and IoT technology to enhance tractor financing. 

Show Notes

In the first episode of the Voice of FinTech: Africa Series, Adejoke Adekunle, CEO of VVM Group and the founder of the African Tech Woman podcast, based in Lagos, Nigeria, spoke to Jehiel Oliver, CEO of Hello Tractor, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Jehiel also served on the US President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (Obama administration).

Here is what Adejoke asked Jehiel:

 

• I think a great way to start our conversation would be to orient our audience about some of the problems/opportunities that inspired HelloTractor before we segue into the FinTech aspect of your business which is what this show largely focuses on. So tell us about the small steps that led to the big decision of founding HelloTractor 
• What things have changed over the years - what was shocking/exciting or did you underestimate starting out?
• I read somewhere that Nigeria still needs about 63,000 tractors to match the mechanization requirement to effectively address the food security challenge, it's interesting to hear that it's part of what's influencing some of the decisions and plans at Hello Tractor. 
• Unpack the intersection between Agriculture and finance especially within the African context. 
• How would you describe the Tractor finance market in Africa? I understand that might differ from country to country within the continent so I'd like you to unpack that for me a bit.
• Walk me through the impacts you've seen since joining the Mastercard Programme with specific examples of how this has helped your customers. 
• So about 2 years ago, HelloTractor built an AI-enabled digital wallet for farmers, where does that fit in the big picture of things for Hello Tractor?
• What are some of the setbacks you’ve experienced in trying to spin up fintech solutions within the business? And how are you navigating them?
• How has COVID-19 impacted investments into Agriculture in Africa?
• I’d like to hear your thoughts about how investors and people/institutions looking to be a part of the African Agriculture ecosystem can participate - how can they participate in this economy.
• Looking at 2021 ahead, what are some of the things we should expect from HelloTractor?
• And finally, what’s one interesting thing about you most people don’t know about you?

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