When Faith Koki Sammy founded Silo Africa, she set out to solve a crisis she knew all too well; the devastating post-harvest losses that rob African farmers of nearly half their hard-earned grain every year.
Koki’s agritech startup is changing that story. Through its flagship innovation, SmartSilo™, a solar-powered, airtight storage system equipped with real-time sensors, Silo Africa is helping farmers protect their grain from pests, mould, and spoilage.
Equipped with sensors called SiloSense™, the system tracks temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and grain stock in real time, sending alerts to farmers via mobile app or SMS.
“For me, it became personal when I realised that post-harvest losses were forcing people into debt cycles,” she said. “I wanted to build something that gave farmers control and dignity over their harvest.”
What You Should Know
Early versions of SmartSilo™ were built with local welders and farmer input. Koki says it is designed for off-grid areas, and the system works even without internet.
“We built it for ‘offline-first,’” Koki says. “Data is stored locally and synced when connectivity returns. Farmers can still get critical alerts via SMS, which works even in low-network areas. That way, grain protection doesn’t depend on perfect connectivity.”
Silo Africa’s success goes beyond hardware, it’s about trust and training. Instead of pushing products, the company began with demonstration farms.
Silo Africa also runs training programs on operating silos, interpreting data, collective marketing, and financial literacy. The company’s women-led Kuza Hubs empower rural women to lead storage, trading, and ownership models.
In just a few years, Silo Africa has reached more than 3,200 households, empowered over 4,200 women, and earned Koki the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award; recognition for building one of Africa’s most impactful post-harvest solutions.
What This Means
One challenge was cost. A SmartSilo costs between $800 and $1,200 to produce, beyond reach for most smallholders. Silo Africa’s solution is innovative financing. Farmers can now lease, pay-as-you-store, or repay seasonally after harvests.
The company’s hybrid model combines direct sales, lease-to-own options, and subscription fees for its IoT and cloud services. It also earns transaction income from Kuza Trading Hubs and Warehouse Receipts.
For many farmers, storage isn’t the only hurdle, market access is another. Through its Kuza Trading Hub, Silo Africa says it connects smallholders directly with premium buyers, ensuring fair prices and transparent contracts.
Using Digital Warehouse Receipts secured by blockchain, farmers can now also use their stored grain as collateral for credit.
Scaling Across Africa
Across Africa, post-harvest losses consume more than 40% of harvested grain annually; food worth over $4 billion. In Kenya alone, the figure stands at $720 million, a devastating blow that keeps rural families trapped in poverty.
According to Silo Africa, its next frontier is SiloCloud™, a digital platform linking every SmartSilo across Africa into a single data ecosystem.
Silo Africa is also raising new capital to expand across East and Southern Africa. The company’s five-year goal is to reach one million farmers with one million tonnes of SmartSilo storage connected through SiloCloud™.
From rural workshops to continental ambition, experts say Silo Africa’s story captures the essence of African innovation: turning hardship into opportunity, and ideas into impact.
Talking Points
Silo Africa stands out for addressing one of Africa’s most overlooked agricultural challenges; post-harvest grain losses with a practical, technology-driven solution designed for smallholder realities.
Its SmartSilo™ system, powered by solar energy and equipped with real-time sensors, directly tackles the issue of spoilage and pest infestation without relying on chemical preservatives.
This innovation ensures that farmers in off-grid and low-connectivity areas can protect their crops efficiently, thanks to its offline-first design and SMS alert system.
At Techparley, we see how Silo Africa’s approach bridges technology and inclusion. By combining affordable financing models, training programs, and women-led Kuza Hubs, the company is not only solving a storage problem but also building rural capacity, trust, and financial independence.
With continued strategic backing, Silo Africa has the potential to become a defining force in Africa’s post-harvest transformation, ensuring farmers no longer lose their livelihood to preventable grain waste.
