• Nile.ag secures $11.2 million in equity funding led by Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund
• Capital to expand digital agriculture tools and financing options for southern Africa
• Nile.ag traded 225,000 tons of produce in 2024 and offers over 100 product categories

South African agtech platform Nile.ag has raised 200 million rand (about $11.2 million) to expand its digital agriculture services and scale across southern Africa. The equity funding round, announced on Thursday, June 12, 2025, was led by the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF) with participation from the Dutch development bank FMO and Platform Investment Partners.

The capital will support the growth of Nile.ag’s online platform, which enables farmers to trade fresh produce, access inputs, and connect with financing solutions. The company plans to enhance its e-commerce offering for agricultural supplies and launch new financial products developed in partnership with local banks, aimed at improving farmers’ access to markets, credit, and farm inputs.

Founded in 2021 by Eugene Roodt and Louis de Kock, Nile.ag helps South African farmers sell directly to buyers, including those in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In 2024, the platform handled trades totaling about 225,000 tons of agricultural products. Nile.ag now offers a wide range of services, from seed and fertilizer procurement to post-harvest equipment supply and full-cycle crop management.

The company lists over 100 fresh product categories and aims to simplify agricultural trade in South Africa and the region. For AfricInvest, backing Nile.ag is part of a broader strategy to support platforms that bring structure and efficiency to agricultural markets. “Nile.ag delivers integrated tools to address farmers’ procurement, sales, and financing challenges,” said Henry Rahmann, investment manager at AfricInvest. “We’re proud to back Nile’s exceptional team (…) as they build an agri-tech champion, uplifting farming communities across South Africa and beyond”.

Despite a slow rebound in regional agtech investments, South Africa raised just $1.5 million across four deals in the first half of 2024, placing it 8th among African countries for agritech funding. In contrast, the continent as a whole attracted about $145 million during the same period, according to data from Disrupt Africa and AgFunder.

Still, the sector shows signs of resilience. Development finance institutions are playing a growing role in early-stage funding as traditional venture capital retreats. Smaller, more frequent investment rounds are emerging, particularly in agri-marketing platforms and fintech for farmers—segments that now account for over 40% of sector investments.