By Zamandulo Ntshalintshali and Nontokozo Gwebu
MTN Eswatini and the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) have joined forces to train and empower farmers with digital tools that promise to improve productivity, market access, and financial inclusion.
This initiative is part of their 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign.
Held at MTN headquarters in Ezulwini, the training session brought together farmers from across the country under the theme “Connecting at the Roots: Connecting Communities through Digital Tools.”
The initiative focused on the Eswatini Horticultural Information System (EHIS), a collaborative digital platform developed by NAMBoard and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), aimed at providing farmers with essential market-related information.
The EHIS acts as a link between farmers and buyers, traders, and input suppliers, promoting economic opportunities and improving market access. Farmers can access the EHIS through multiple platforms, including a website portal, USSD code, and a mobile app available for download from the Google Play Store and App Store.
This accessibility ensures that farmers can easily take advantage of the resources needed to enhance their operations.
The training was designed to familiarize farmers with the EHIS, covering key topics such as the app’s features, installation steps, market connections, and data utilization. By offering step-by-step instructions, the session ensured participants felt confident in using the system.
NAMBoard’s Chief Operations Officer, Sydney Dladla, described the EHIS as a game-changer. “This system empowers farmers by delivering real-time data on production processes, market prices, weather updates, and more,” he said.
Dladla emphasized the importance of digital platforms and keeping up with technology, saying, “If you are the best today, you are not the best tomorrow if you are not continuously improving.”
Looking to the future, exciting enhancements to the EHIS were discussed. Planned developments include tools for creating business plans, tailored financial services for farmers, and a comprehensive platform that serves as a one-stop shop for agricultural resources.
These innovations are expected to further empower farmers, enabling informed decision-making that drives productivity and profitability.
Sihle Nkabindze from the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) encouraged farmers to expand beyond primary production.
“We want to see farmers go into value addition and tap into export markets. EIPA supports local producers with trade information, investment readiness, and capacity-building workshops to help them scale,” he said.
Beyond information access, the session also emphasized financial innovation, particularly through the Mobile Money (MoMo) platform powered by MTN Eswatini.
For over 12 years, MoMo has been revolutionizing the way Eswatini’s citizens manage their money. Now, farmers are learning to leverage it to buy inputs, receive payments, and access loans, transforming the way they conduct business.
“MoMo offers farmers a secure and convenient way to transact. From purchasing fertilizers to receiving payments for produce, farmers can now operate with speed and safety,” said Lomkhosi Dludlu from MTN Eswatini. She added that MoMo supports bulk payments and allows farmers to better manage cash flow, an essential component for scaling their businesses.