What is hiveonline?
hiveonline is all about helping small businesses thrive, especially in the informal economy. It’s a digital platform designed to empower growth where it’s needed most — in rural sub-Saharan Africa. By connecting smallholder farmers, financial services, agribusinesses, and NGOs, hiveonline creates a vibrant digital ecosystem. This ecosystem opens doors to opportunities that help communities grow, trade, save, and access financial services. It’s more than just technology; it’s a bridge linking people to resources and markets that were once out of reach.
Main Benefits of hiveonline
Here’s a quick snapshot of what hiveonline brings to the table:
- 65,000+ smallholder farmers engaged
- Active work with marginalized communities in Mozambique, Kenya, and Ghana
- Regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Mozambique, enabling third-party lending and boosting financial inclusion
- Support for the production and sale of 52 different crops, with a special focus on cashew and groundnut value chains
- Partnerships in Kenya to promote climate-resilient adaptation alongside local organizations
Addressing the Challenges
Millions of communities across Africa are striving to build a better future, but the road is tough. They face a lack of resources, growing inequality — including gender-based gaps — climate change risks, and weak connections within agricultural value chains. It’s staggering to think that only 1% of bank lending in Africa goes to agriculture, even though over 60% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population are smallholder farmers. hiveonline steps in as the connective tissue, linking lenders, off-takers, NGOs, and rural communities to create fair and equitable trading relationships.
Empowering Smallholder Farmers
Smallholder farmers are the backbone of local food systems and play a huge role in meeting global demand for agricultural commodities. hiveonline’s mobile-based digital solutions bring trusted data and relationships right to these rural communities. Through savings groups and cooperatives, farmers gain access to financial services, agricultural inputs, and market buyers. This digital ecosystem helps them improve farming and saving practices — and that’s a game changer for their livelihoods.
Supporting Financial Services and Agribusinesses
Financial services get a boost by tapping into a wider market through digital channels, while agribusinesses can trade directly with smallholder farmer communities. This direct connection cuts out unnecessary middlemen and builds trust. NGOs also benefit by enhancing the effectiveness of their financial inclusion and market access programs. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, creating a more inclusive and resilient rural economy.
Linking to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Looking Ahead with hiveonline
hiveonline is more than just a platform — it’s a movement towards a digital rural economy that’s inclusive and sustainable. By bridging gaps between formal financial services and informal rural communities, it opens up a world of possibilities. Whether it’s helping farmers adapt to climate change, supporting agribusinesses, or enabling NGOs to do more, hiveonline is paving the way for a future where small businesses don’t just survive — they thrive.
