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An agricultural fintech company, Tingo Inc has commenced operations in Ghana.
The company’s leadership embarked on a soft launch of its first local branch in the national capital, Accra.
The launch of Tingo Mobile Ghana ensued at its new office in East Legon on Wednesday, November 9.
The event saw a gathering of executives, stakeholders, some farmers and a section of the media.
President of Tingo Inc, Dr Chris Cleverly explained how ready his team is to offer a comprehensive platform service through smartphones (using GSM technology).
This will empower a marketplace to enable subscribers/farmers within and outside of the agricultural sector to manage their commercial activities of growing and selling their products to market participants both domestically and internationally.
According to Dr Cleverly, “Fintech companies that are creating efficiencies in the way that we put our trees and our plants and our crops together…That’s the way forward for us, to actually link together technology and agriculture into a seamless partnership”
He added that the company saw the farmers as “the hero of our story.”
“You protect the farmer, the farmer protects you. Food security is national security, national security is international security,” he said.
Tingo Inc aims to be Africa’s leading Agri-Fintech company that transforms rural farming communities to connect through its proprietary platform to meet their complete needs from inputs, agronomy, off-take and marketplace which delivers sustainable income in an impactful way.
Director of partnership and membership at the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Christian Mensah Sewordor, also graced the occasion.
He was enthused about Tingo Inc’s decision to settle in Ghana and urged them to act on their commitment to meet the needs of the rural farmers to gain maximum returns from their input.
“Tingo Mobile says they are here to give us the technology, they are here to give us the cash…what we need now is for you to partner with us in terms of equity so that we can go into serious commercial farming because have the lands there, we have the labour there, but we don’t have the means to purchase those seeds, those inputs, those tractors and those threshers,” he added.
Chief of Staff of Tingo Inc, Rory Bowen touted some of the company’s feats elsewhere in Africa stating that “we support 10 million farmers [in Nigeria] with access to technology and marketplace with a focus on social upliftment, financial inclusion and wealth creation.”
Mr Bowen added, “we are excited to launch the same product in Ghana and we are looking forward to a very exciting few years ahead to build a business here.”