Most agritech products start from a simple assumption: the farmer has a smartphone, a data plan and the confidence to use an app. In many parts of Sudan, that assumption does not hold. When we set out to build Mahsool, we decided to test it before building anything.
Start by listening
Our team carried out desk reviews and a needs assessment, interviewing and collecting data from more than 300 farmers, traders and service providers in different states. We asked about how they sell, how they find buyers, what slows them down and how they currently get information.
Two findings shaped everything that followed:
- The biggest pain points were supply difficulties and marketing challenges: finding buyers, getting fair prices and moving produce.
- Many small-scale farmers have low levels of digital literacy, and not all of them use smartphones.
Meet people on the channels they already use
Instead of asking farmers to learn a new app, we built Mahsool around channels they already know:
- SMS for posting offers and receiving notifications
- A call center where a person can help
- WhatsApp for those who use it
- A web app and mobile app for traders, service providers and more connected users
All of these channels feed the same platform. A farmer who sends an SMS and a trader using the app see the same market.
Agents close the gap
Technology alone is not enough. Mahsool relies on more than 80 agents on the ground. In the auction feature, for example, agents verify the crops a producer lists before verified buyers bid on them. That human step builds the trust that a purely digital marketplace would struggle to earn.
Simple does not mean basic
Designing for basic phones does not mean giving up on advanced features. Behind the simple channels, Mahsool runs price information by region and market, weather forecasts and early warnings, and Mahsool Advisor, an expert system fine-tuned for Sudan that answers farmers’ questions and can request an expert field visit.
The result
Mahsool now reaches more than 30,000 farmers. We believe the decision to design for every phone, made at the research stage, is a big part of why.
Lessons for anyone building digital services in Sudan
- Research first, and include the hardest-to-reach users.
- Use the channels people already use.
- Combine technology with trusted people on the ground.
- Keep the front end simple and put the complexity behind it.
Planning a digital service for farmers, traders or rural communities? Talk to our team.