Wall Street to African farmsteads. Two very different worlds, but some of the same lessons: resilience, partnerships and the courage to keep building.
Join us for The Audacity to Build on 27 August, 2–4 PM.
Register: https://t.co/YRUtv7toqL
#Entrepreneurship#SocialInnovation
What does it take to walk away from a predictable career, move to Africa, and dedicate yourself to building something that matters?
In this episode of Diary of an African Entrepreneur, I sit down with Jehiel Oliver, Founder and CEO of @HelloTractor , to unpack his journey from finance in the United States to building an agricultural technology company across Africa.
We talk about the realities of building in Nigeria, navigating uncertainty, earning trust, making difficult decisions, leading people, raising capital, and having the patience to build for the long term.
But at the heart of our conversation is something bigger than entrepreneurship. It is about purpose, conviction, and the ambition to contribute to Africa’s economic sovereignty.
Watch the full episode and join the conversation on my YouTube channel https://t.co/4n7lvGfFsB
#JehielOliver #HelloTractor #DiaryOfAnAfricanEntrepreneur #AfricanEntrepreneurship #EconomicSovereignty
Meet Esther Cheruiyot, a commodity depositor at Mauka WRS Certified Warehouse in Mauche Ward-Nakuru County, who shares her journey with WRS and the difference it has made.
#WRS#structuredcommoditytrade#solutiontopostharvestlosses
The Council, CGA and Hello Tractor, under an AGRA-supported programme, conducted a stakeholder engagement among aggregators drawn from Nakuru County, to promote WRS adoption and increase commodity deposits at Mauka Certified Warehouse.
𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 : 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗣 𝗔𝗜 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗔 𝟴𝟭
A farmer in Kisumu asks about her land, out loud, in Kiswahili. She gets an answer.
No smartphone. No data bundle. No app. Weather by SMS over 2G. Inference hosted in Kenya.
One conversation, built across three continents. AI infrastructure that works where the cloud does not.
𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿.
Video is also on our youtube channel: https://t.co/rcJhgR6ucy
@UN@UNDP@AIHub4SD@MsingiAI@HelloTractor@mimit_gov@Cineca1969@EkStep_Org
With support from AGRA, WRSC, led by CEO & Registrar Ms. Lucy Komen, mobilized commodity deposits and pre-launched AFC’s Warehouse Receipt Financing product.
In📍Katete, Mapulanga is helping smallholder farmers do more — offering land prep to harvest & transport through the Govt-WFP Private sector led mechanisation🚜 initiative.
Using @HelloTractor's digital platform, he connects 👨🌾 to machinery, markets & climate-smart practices.
The Warehouse Receipt System Council, in collaboration with @HelloTractor and @Agri_FinanceKe , engaged farmers in Rongai, Mauka and Mau Narok, Nakuru County, on the WRS as part of ongoing sensitisation and commodity deposit mobilisation efforts, supported by @AGRA_Africa .
"If the farmer doesn't succeed, everyone loses. But there is a sequencing to executing on that problem: we had to secure the tractor owner first." @HelloTractor’s @JehielOliver on ecosystem design on #TheDirt 🎙️ Watch Ep 008: https://t.co/pIWyGfhwMR.
@HelloTractor rents tractors to African smallholders by the hour, booked from a phone.
2.5M+ farmers served. 18 countries. 100% repayment from first-time borrowers.
John Deere became its largest investor.
Mechanisation is a finance problem, not a machinery problem.
#GlobalPulseAfrica #SmartAg
"If the farmer doesn't succeed, everyone loses. But there is a sequencing to executing on that problem: we had to secure the tractor owner first." @HelloTractor’s @JehielOliver on ecosystem design on The Dirt 🎙️ Watch Ep 008: https://t.co/pIWyGfhwMR.
Digital tools and mechanization platforms empower young agri-preneurs to coordinate services, manage data, and drive innovation.
Supporting youth-led solutions ensures a resilient, modern, and inclusive agricultural sector.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
Investing in small-scale mechanization creates jobs, improves farmer productivity, and strengthens rural economies.
Policies and partnerships that expand equipment access help scale these benefits across Africa.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
Sharing best practices in land prep, equipment use, and service coordination strengthens agricultural systems.
Partnerships between governments, innovators, and youth-led enterprises drive scale and impact.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
Mechanization is more than tractors: it’s a system of trained operators, digital tools, and reliable equipment.
Strengthening these systems improves farmer access, reduces inefficiencies, and supports resilient agri-food systems.
#HelloTractor#GrowingTogether
Mechanization opens new pathways for youth: booking agents, operators, technicians, and digital innovators.
Supporting young agri-preneurs ensures technology adoption and drives inclusive growth in agriculture.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
Operational tractors are critical during peak season.
Preventive maintenance reduces downtime, increases farm productivity, and strengthens rural economies.
Investing in training and equipment upkeep is key.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
#DidYouKnow mechanized land prep can increase yields by 20–30%?
Supporting young operators and digital booking platforms ensures farmers access equipment when needed, boosting efficiency and rural livelihoods.
#HelloTractor#MechanizationinAfrica#GrowingTogether
As planting season begins across several African regions, the question is not whether mechanization is needed but how to structure it sustainably. Data, finance, coordination, and policy alignment are how food systems scale.
#HelloTractor#Mechanization#GrowingTogether