By George George Idowu
In a bid to combat food security challenges in Botswana, a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) research company, Anton Tech, founded by Tumo Kgabeng, is making significant strides in transforming the country’s agriculture industry.
The company’s flagship agritech solution employs drones to monitor pests, diseases, and soil quality, providing real-time data-driven recommendations to farmers.
Kgabeng, who has 14 years experience in Computer Programming, stated that the idea of creating his tech business came during the Botho Hacks 2021 hackaton.
He said: “My journey in computer programming started at 14 years when I began teaching myself the basics of Python in junior school. By 17, I was pursuing my BSc in computer systems engineering at Botswana Accountancy College; then, I joined the developer communities at iCode Hub.
“During my time in college, I interacted with industry professionals, became a part of the broader developer community, and led a Google Developer Student Club.
“In my second year, I started working in the industry as a React engineering developer for a company in Gaborone.
“Anton Tech aims to bridge critical gaps in agricultural data collection and analysis.
“Our technology utilizes deep learning algorithms to process image data captured by drones or other devices, enabling precise detection of pests, diseases, and soil conditions.”
Anton Tech’s commitment to revolutionizing agriculture in Botswana underscores the transformative potential of AI-driven technologies in addressing pressing societal challenges, with implications for the broader African continent.
According to Kgabeng, farmers can simply take pictures of their plants and send them via popular messaging platforms to receive instant disease identification and treatment recommendations from Anton Tech’s neural networks.
He said this swift response mechanism accelerates the intervention process, potentially saving crops and boosting yields.
According to him, Anton Tech is aimed at leveraging drones to collect comprehensive field data, facilitating precision farming practices. He said by pinpointing specific areas needing treatment, farmers can minimize input wastage while maximizing productivity.
He stated that the company’s impact extends beyond individual farms. Through a centralized data analytics dashboard, Anton Tech collaborates with government parastatals to digitize and aggregate crucial agricultural data, unlocking insights that were previously buried in manual and paper-based records
Reflecting on the journey so far, Kgabeng stated that his major challenge is getting stakeholders in the value chain to adopt the technology.
“Our major challenge is getting the relevant stakeholders in the value chain to adopt the technology. Even though Project Anton Tech can bring productivity to the value chain, getting people to migrate there takes time and effort. Our approach to building trust within the industry is conducting demos demonstrating how Project Anton works,” he said.
Kgabeng urged young aspiring African innovators to embrace failure as part of the learning process. “Don’t be afraid to put your solutions out there.
“Feedback from users is invaluable in refining innovations and driving progress,” he stated.