Complete Farmer CEO Desmond Koney Unveils Marketplace to Bridge Africa’s Agricultural Gap at 9-Year Milestone

Story by Fada Amakye

Complete Farmer CEO and co-founder Desmond Okpoti Koney says the agri-tech company is “building a bridge, not just through technology, but through people” as it marks nine years and launches a new phase of its digital marketplace aimed at transforming Africa’s fragmented farming sector.

Speaking at a 9th anniversary event, Koney thanked early supporter Paul, his wife, and the “amazing team behind this nine years journey working together to solve a very difficult problem.” He said the milestone felt less like nine years and more like a continuous push to reimagine agriculture for smallholder farmers.

We are not just here to launch a program or to see features of what we are doing,” Koney told government officials, partners, founders, and media. “We are building a bridge for an industry that has been fragmented for a very long time. The bridge is to build a bridge, not just through technology, but through people.

The Complete Farmer platform is a marketplace designed to connect every player in the agricultural ecosystem. Koney explained it links growers directly to buyers, connects vendors and agricultural input providers to farmers, and provides access to financing across the value chain.

The power is not on either side alone. The power is between the connection that we put together,” he said. “The platform has been built to reduce friction, increase trust, and make farmers and buyers more competitive.

For growers, the advantage shifts from just producing more to producing with intelligent data. “It’s about producing with intelligent data, data that drives your decision day to day on your fields, data that ensures that the outcome of your production and your harvest finds markets for those who need them,” Koney said.

For buyers, the platform removes the burden of building supply chains from scratch. “You no longer have to build your own supply chains. It’s about being able to build something that is predictable, something that is consistent, for you to be able to make sure that you are acquiring your raw materials,” he added.

For partners and input providers, the platform offers access to rural and remote value chains that were previously hard to reach. “It’s not just about being able to make a sale or sell a product to the next farmer through this platform,” Koney said.

Koney said Complete Farmer wants to change the narrative around what a smallholder farmer looks like. The vision: agriculture as a lifestyle accessible to all.

We want to change the narrative. There’s a narrative that is one where a farmer becomes everyone’s lifestyle through this platform. We want everyone to be a farmer. I can be a farmer, you can be a farmer, and we have buyers here who are looking for you to become a farmer as well,” he said.

He emphasized “customer love” as the company’s core principle. “We talk about customer love at Complete Farmer because this product only succeeds if our growers genuinely trust, and our buyers really buy into it. Customer love is not a slogan for us, it means listening when users tell us what they need.

Founded nine years ago, Complete Farmer has positioned itself as a bridge between Africa’s fragmented agricultural players. The anniversary launch signals the company’s next push to scale data-driven farming, predictable supply chains, and inclusive market access across the continent.

Government officials, technology companies, and ecosystem members attended the event, underscoring growing interest in digital solutions for Africa’s food security and rural development challenges.

Koney closed by thanking the Complete Farmer team and partners, saying the journey to build the bridge continues.