The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a blockchain-powered farming application designed to bring transparency, traceability, and market access to South Africa’s most underserved agricultural producers.
Unveiled in June 2025, the CSIR’s smart farming platform, named ILIMA is set to redefine how smallholder farmers engage with the broader value chain.
Built on decentralised digital ledger technology, the app records transactions securely and visibly across multiple computers, creating a tamper-proof supply chain trail from farm to fork.
CSIR researcher Heinrich Keiser said ILIMA enables real-time tracking of goods, improved planning and forecasting, reduced operational costs and enhanced environmental impact reporting.
“This also allows consumers in both retail and export to verify and trace goods from start to finish. Trust in supply chains is critical, especially in agriculture, where provenance and production methods matter,” said Keiser.
The platform is being rolled out to address a systemic imbalance.
While small-scale farmers account for around 65% of South Africa’s farms, they earn less than 5% of the sector’s income.
While small-scale farmers account for around 65% of South Africa’s farms, they earn less than 5% of the sector’s income.
Challenges across the supply chain, from input access and poor post-harvest storage to market exclusion have long locked these producers out of meaningful participation in the formal economy.
In a pilot study conducted with a small-scale chicken farmer in Naboomspruit, the app demonstrated its capacity to address bottlenecks ranging from sourcing and distribution to traceability and sales.
By tracking the movement of goods and collecting on-farm data, ILIMA empowers farmers to build digital trust, secure better market terms, and improve their overall productivity.
The CSIR believes the platform’s widespread adoption could contribute to multiple national development goals.
If scaled successfully, ILIMA could assist in reducing rural poverty and unemployment, advancing skills development, strengthening food security, and stimulating export growth through improved credibility in global supply chains.
The innovation aligns with South Africa’s broader commitment to Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, which includes halving food loss and waste.
By enabling better supply chain planning and reducing inefficiencies, ILIMA supports a smarter, leaner agricultural ecosystem.
With technology as its tool and inclusion as its mission, ILIMA signals a new era where small-scale producers are no longer left behind but linked in.
Azwi@vutivibusiness.co.za
Azwi@vutivibusiness.co.za
