Agritech Investment Gap: Why Africa's 'Last Mile' Infrastructure Needs Funding

African agritech investments peaked at $776M in 2022 before dropping to $275M in 2023, stabilizing at $192M in 2024. Despite this growth, only 4% of African investments target agriculture, which employs 60% of the continent's workforce. Investment is heavily concentrated in Kenya ($95M in 2024), Nigeria, and Egypt, leaving Francophone Africa structurally underfunded.

The agritech sector has been dominated by marketplaces and fintech (41% of investment), while SaaS B2B solutions for distributors and cooperatives—the 'last mile' infrastructure—are severely neglected. This gap has caused even well-funded startups like Gro Intelligence and iProcure to shut down in 2024.

Amaya, an Algerian-French startup founded in 2022, is addressing this specific need by providing B2B SaaS for agricultural distributors and cooperatives. Their platform has delivered 30% productivity increases and 20% revenue growth for clients across North Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa.

With Francophone Africa facing structural funding disadvantages and only 38% of Africans having internet access, there's a strategic opportunity to build the operational infrastructure that connects agricultural inputs to farmers. Will African investors shift focus from flashy marketplaces to the essential 'last mile' infrastructure that could transform agricultural productivity across the continent?

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/05/12/francophone-weekly-by-techcabal-022/