South African agri-tech startup Nile has secured ZAR200m (US$11.3m) in funding to expand its operations across Southern Africa, as it looks to build a comprehensive digital ecosystem for farmers navigating fragmented agricultural markets.
The funding round was led by the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund, with participation from FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. Platform Investment Partners, which previously backed the business, also joined the round. It brings Nile’s total funding raised to date to around US$16.4m, following a $5.1m round in 2022.
Founded in 2021 by Louis de Kock, Eugene Roodt, and Rick Kleynhans, Nile provides an online platform for farmers to sell fresh produce, buy agricultural inputs, and access financing solutions. The business aims to address some of the long-standing inefficiencies in Africa’s agricultural value chains, including opaque pricing, inconsistent quality standards, delayed payments, and food waste.
“We have been surprised by how quickly farmers have embraced our digital way of trading,” said Nile cofounder de Kock. “Having built critical mass, we now have the opportunity to build a comprehensive digital ecosystem that provides significantly more value and reduces the risks to farmers.”
Tackling Inefficiencies
South Africa’s agricultural sector, like many across developing markets, has long been characterised by multiple intermediaries between farmers and buyers, leading to inflated costs, unpredictable pricing, and food spoilage along the supply chain. Nile’s platform digitises those transactions and provides a direct link between producers, suppliers, and buyers.
By removing several middlemen from the equation, Nile says it enables farmers to capture more value for their produce and gain quicker access to buyers in domestic and export markets. The platform has evolved from a simple online produce marketplace to a broader agribusiness offering that includes a digital agricultural inputs store and partnerships with financial institutions to provide credit to farmers.
Farmers using the platform can access everything from seeds and fertiliser to packaging and logistical services. Nile also offers instant payments upon delivery of goods, helping producers maintain cash flow and reduce financial risks during harvest seasons.
While Nile’s roots are in South Africa, the platform’s reach now extends across the Southern African region. Its marketplace is used by farmers in multiple countries, connecting them with buyers not just within Africa, but also in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
“We connect farmers based in Southern Africa with buyers across Africa using road, air, and sea freight,” said de Kock. “The key markets for us right now are in East and West Africa, but we’re also seeing trade to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.”
For investors, the opportunity lies in modernising a historically under-digitised but economically critical sector. “We believe Nile is transforming fresh produce trading in South Africa, empowering farmers by addressing their full range of needs — from inputs and trading to financing,” said Henry Rahmann, investment officer at AfricInvest. “We’re proud to back Nile’s exceptional team, alongside FMO, as they build an agri-tech champion uplifting farming communities across South Africa and beyond.”
Investment in agri marketplaces and agri-fintech has been rising in developing markets. According to data from AgFunder, the sector grew by 77% in 2024, accounting for nearly half of all upstream funding in emerging economies. Companies like Nile are positioning themselves as crucial infrastructure providers in sectors where better coordination between production, finance, and logistics is long overdue.
For Nile, the goal is not only to streamline trade but also to offer a one-stop-shop that makes it easier for farmers to run sustainable and profitable businesses. “Once farmers are comfortable trading within our ecosystem, we’re able to offer complementary services like input supplies, data, and financing, which helps create loyalty and stickiness,” said de Kock.
As competition grows in Africa’s agrifoodtech sector, Nile’s bet is that by building trust with farmers and simplifying an otherwise chaotic supply chain, it can emerge as a key player in connecting African agriculture to regional and global markets.
