Agriculture in Africa is being transformed by artificial intelligence (AI), but there is still one element it cannot replace. Despite dramatic technological advances in the sector in recent decades, the role of the farmer remains indispensable.
This was the message delivered last week, surprisingly, at a conference in Europe by a world leader in the field — from Eswatini. Rob Coombe, group IT manager of Royal Eswatini Sugar (RES), delivered the keynote speech at the Sapphire conference hosted by software giant SAP in Barcelona, with a case study that encapsulates 21st-century farming.
“You really can’t take the farmer out of farming,” Coombe told Business Times during the conference. “So much depends on the farmer’s intuition. Farming is incredibly scientific, with various measurements and readings. However, even with the best data, natural elements can change outcomes drastically.”
The sugar cane producer uses drones and satellite imagery to enhance productivity and efficiency with SAP software. SAP’s S/4HANA system is a leading tool for enterprise resource planning in enterprises, and is used by 85 of the 100 largest companies in the world. In a keynote address, SAP chief revenue officer Scott Russel said: “The reality is that, with AI embedded in your business, the opportunities are endless.”
The biggest opportunity at present, said Coombe, is improving the bottom line. “We have reduced the cost of IT by 15%,” he told several thousand delegates. “We’re spending more with SAP, but less overall.” Coombe has been at RES for more than 12 years, but has worked with SAP systems since 1991.
In that time, he said, the way technology is implemented has changed. He told Business Times: “The two big things are always people and data. People are immune to change, so getting the change in people’s mind is key. And getting your data sorted is equally important. When your data is not right, it doesn’t matter what the system is, you get a lot of rubbish out of it.”
RES applies AI and machine learning (ML) to 15 years of satellite imagery to create a “digital twin” of its operations, in collaboration with SAP systems. “This helps us predict the yield and manage cash flow and budgeting more accurately. By integrating this data with SAP Intelligent Agriculture and S4/HANA, RES can monitor crop health in real-time and make necessary adjustments. We don’t have to wait until harvest to see that there is a problem; we can see it on a day-to-day basis.”
RES is using historical climate data and forward-looking weather data, combined with ML models, to predict future conditions, aiding in better planning and simulation. It is deploying drones for a range of agricultural tasks, enhancing both efficiency and precision. “Instead of getting the guys in there, we send out a drone and do an analysis with AI.
“Scouting — going out to look for pests and diseases — will now become an electronic thing, so you get quicker responses.”
RES is using generative AI with the SAP digital assistant, Joule, to handle routine tasks like managing debtors, creditors and reconciliations. “Joule can work at 2am, and the analysis can be read upon waking up. You can simply ask it about outstanding creditors, without needing to know specific programme numbers.”
RES is not waiting to be told what is possible. It is introducing a “youth AI council” to explore further applications of AI. “The council will help us identify new areas where AI can make a difference, leveraging the fresh perspectives and skills of younger employees.” Coombe says AI is not about replacing people. “It’s about empowering people and making them capable. We are innovative in Southern Africa; we do stuff differently.”
• Goldstuck is the founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee
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