A group of young innovators from Mangaung is working on a digital solution to improve market access for emerging farmers.
Vuyisile Motsamai, 39, Tokyo Phuthi, 31, Gift Mathopa, 33, and Mokone Sepheka, 26, from Revo-TeKh have developed AgriLinc, a platform designed to connect farmers with buyers while simplifying the agricultural supply chain.
They won first prize at the Mangaung Community Hackathon (22/3), an achievement they say has helped validate the concept and move them closer to implementation, as they prepare to onboard their first farmers and buyers. “We are passionate about using technology to solve real community challenges, particularly in agriculture and food security,” the team explains.
AgriLinc was created after the group observed the challenges faced by smallholder farmers struggling to access formal markets. “These farmers produce quality food but consistently fail to access formal markets,” they say. The app is designed as a digital marketplace that links farmers with retailers, restaurants, and wholesalers, while also integrating logistics, secure payments, and real-time market information. They observed market access remains the biggest barrier, especially in the local farming industry.
“Smallholder farmers in South Africa contribute less than 1% of total sales in formal fresh produce markets, not because they can’t produce, but because the systems were never designed to include them. We want to change that by giving farmers a direct route to buyers, transparent pricing, and the ability to aggregate their produce to fulfil larger orders.”
By reducing reliance on middlemen, the platform aims to improve farmers’ profitability. “Middlemen and brokers can take between 30% and 60% of the final selling price. AgriLinc removes those layers, allowing farmers to earn fairer prices,” they noted. The team is currently in early-stage development, focusing on building and piloting the platform. They say community-focused competitions like the Mangaung Community Hackathon (22/3) give local innovators a platform to solve real community problems while increasing their visibility.
“The hackathon helped refine our solution, strengthened our credibility, and accelerated our path toward real-world implementation. These events are crucial for turning local talent and ideas into scalable solutions.”
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