Digitisation of African Agriculture Through BRICS Partnerships

The policy brief examines how BRICS partnerships can accelerate the digitisation of African agriculture to drive economic growth. It identifies key barriers in Africa, such as weak coordination and low FDI, and highlights successful digital agricultural models in China, Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa. The author recommends using the New Development Bank (NDB) and the AfCFTA to improve infrastructure and trade, while urging African nations to adopt policies that foster digital literacy and agri-tech entrepreneurship.

• The African agricultural sector is a primary economic driver, accounting for approximately 25% of continental GDP and employing about 65% of the economically active population.
• Digitisation of African agriculture is hindered by several systemic challenges, including weak coordination among continental institutions, limited regulatory reforms for cross-border networks, inadequate financial resources, and low education levels among farmers.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in African agriculture remains low; in 2021, agriculture deals accounted for only 6% ($7.2 billion) of the 116 project finance deals targeting the continent, with the majority of investment directed toward energy and renewables.
• BRICS nations maintain a trade surplus with the rest of Africa, with total exports to the continent averaging $201 billion and imports averaging $145 billion between 2019 and 2021, with China dominating over 60% of both.
• BRICS members offer diverse digital agricultural models: China uses IoT, cloud computing, and blockchain for green growth; Brazil employs a research-led innovation ecosystem and IoT to reduce fertiliser use by 10% and chemicals by 3%; India utilizes personalised digital extension services via mobile phones; and Russia has used big data and AI to increase national wheat yields by a third since the early 1990s.
• In South Africa, high data costs—up to four times those of Egypt and three times those of Kenya in 2020—limit internet access to mainly commercial farmers, though platforms like Khula and the Livestock Identification and Traceability System (LITS) provide digital solutions for smallholders.
• To enhance agricultural innovation, the author suggests that African countries become shareholders in the New Development Bank (NDB) to access funding for critical digital and transport infrastructure.

APA

Kalaba, M. (2023). Digitisation of African Agriculture Through BRICS Partnerships. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SAIIA_PI-146_DigitisationAfricanAgriculture.pdf

Chicago

Kalaba, Matlou. Digitisation of African Agriculture Through BRICS Partnerships. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SAIIA_PI-146_DigitisationAfricanAgriculture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kalaba |first1=Matlou |title=Digitisation of African Agriculture Through BRICS Partnerships |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SAIIA_PI-146_DigitisationAfricanAgriculture.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kalaba2023digitisation, author = {Kalaba, Matlou}, title = {{Digitisation of African Agriculture Through BRICS Partnerships}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SAIIA_PI-146_DigitisationAfricanAgriculture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }