Senegalese company Manobi, which operates on-line systems for businesses in the developing world, first launched the trading platform for farmers and fishermen in the west African nation, and says it has signed up 40,000 customers there.
"It's a trading platform and a business space," said Manobi Chief Executive Daniel Annerose. "Small Senegalese farmers even linked up with the French army (on the platform) last year and agreed to supply one of their ships when it docked in Dakar."
Manobi has teamed up with French cell phone manufacturer Alcatel (CGEP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and Vodacom (TKGJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research), to launch the project in South Africa, where it hopes 100,000 farmers will use the system if the Makuleke pilot project takes off.