Diginitaries during a strategic roundtable at the Africa CEO Forum 2026.
KIGALI – For years, agriculture has remained one of Africa’s biggest economic paradoxes. It employs millions of people and contributes heavily to national economies, yet banks have traditionally treated the sector as too risky to finance.
Now, Bank of Kigali says reliable data could change that equation.
Speaking during a strategic roundtable at the Africa CEO Forum 2026, Levi Gasangwa, the Chief Business and Corporate Solutions Officer at Bank of Kigali, explained how better visibility into farming activity is helping financial institutions gain confidence in agricultural lending.
“The issue is data, consistency and visibility. We are helping turn farmers into bankable businesses by using reliable data to give financiers visibility into the entire farming cycle. From when crops are planted, how they are growing, to when they are harvested and who is buying them,” Gasangwa said.
Lack of substantial data has made financial institutions shy away from agriculture. This has long frustrated farmers and agribusinesses across Africa, where smallholder producers often operate informally, with limited records, unpredictable supply chains and little access to formal financing.
Gasangwa described the imbalance as “mind-blowing,” noting that agriculture represents a major share of employment and economic activity, yet receives only a small portion of bank lending.
But the rise of digital agricultural platforms and structured supply chains is beginning to change how lenders view the sector.
Turning Data into Trust
According to Gasangwa, banks are increasingly relying on verified production and trading data to assess whether farmers can sustainably repay loans.
Information such as what a farmer plants, when crops are harvested, who buys the produce and how payments flow through the value chain is helping reduce uncertainty for lenders.
“If a farmer has a structured contract with a major buyer, that changes the conversation,” Gasangwa explained, noting that predictable income streams make financing far more realistic.
The discussion highlighted how agricultural technology platforms are now generating detailed information that allows banks to monitor repayment capacity, production performance and market demand more accurately than before.
That data, participants said, is helping farmers move from informal survival businesses to structured commercial enterprises that financial institutions can support.
Gasangwa however cautioned that financing decisions still depend on more than just contracts. Banks continue to assess quality standards, supply obligations and cancellation risks before approving loans.
To reduce exposure, Bank of Kigali has expanded partnerships with development finance institutions and guarantee facilities that help share risk on agricultural lending.
The bank is also supporting investments in warehouses, cold-chain infrastructure and agricultural aggregators, systems designed to reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ ability to supply formal markets consistently.
Levi Gasangwa (R), the Chief Business and Corporate Solutions Officer at Bank of Kigali, says that better visibility into farming activity is helping financial institutions gain confidence in agricultural lending.
Moving Beyond Traditional Banking
One of the biggest lessons for financial institutions is that agriculture cannot be treated as a small side portfolio in economies where most people depend on farming.
Previously, agribusiness was looked at as a small unit somewhere in the bank, but with the majority of the workforce involved in agriculture financial institutions ought to take it more seriously.
Beyond financing, Bank of Kigali is increasingly supporting businesses with technical assistance, governance training and financial planning support to help agribusinesses become investment-ready.
In the end, Africa’s agricultural transformation will depend on stronger collaboration between farmers, banks, governments and supply chain operators.
