A team of software developers called CodeTech Innovators has launched the M'langizi M'manja digital platform, designed to connect agriculture advisors with farmers in Malawi.

This digital platform enables agriculture advisors to provide personalised advice and guidance to farmers in real-time via an AI-powered chatbot.

One of the software developers, Peter Phiri, said chatbot can deliver information in English or Malawi’s local language Chichewa.

Phiri added that messages are delivered and received instantly, which adds value to farmers who need input and advice about agricultural practices etc. "This platform does not replace agriculture advisors, it provides access to much-needed information at any time.”

Phiri said the system has been built with code and will be readily available on the internet for now. CodeTech Innovators has confirmed that they are also working on a mobile application.

He added that while Mlangizi M'manja can run on smartphones and basic feature phones, feature phones have limited internet connection and are very slow. “They do not support JavaScript or high resolution images, nor can they support a chatbot and also cannot hold styling."

As to the security of the platform, Phiri said it is designed to protect data privacy using ID and password authentication.

“Each user, whether a farmer or an advisor is assigned a unique ID that is automatically generated by the system. These IDs are known only to the system itself and are used to securely manage user accounts and interactions. User data is stored securely, and access is restricted to authorised personnel or system components.”