Paper short abstract:

This study examines how energy access influences digital agriculture adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries with high electricity coverage show greater digital agriculture uptake. Despite lower access, Nigeria's notable digital adoption provides insights into successful adaptation strategies.

Paper long abstract:

Drawing from a comprehensive database of over 1,000 agritech startups across Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper reveals a striking correlation between energy infrastructure and digital agriculture adoption. Our analysis shows that countries with electricity access rates above 75% - notably Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya - demonstrate significantly broader uptake and coverage of digital agricultural technologies. Nigeria emerges as an interesting exception, achieving substantial digital agriculture penetration despite a lower electricity access rate of 60%, offering unique insights into compensatory factors and adaptive strategies. Through detailed examination of these markets, we investigate the policy frameworks, infrastructure development patterns, and enabling environments that have facilitated the growth of agricultural digitalization. The research particularly focuses on how these countries have addressed the twin challenges of energy access and digital inclusion through integrated policy approaches and strategic public-private partnerships. By analysing successful policy mechanisms and governance frameworks in these leading markets, we identify transferable lessons for other African nations seeking to bridge the digital-energy divide in their agricultural sectors. Our findings emphasize that successful digital agriculture initiatives require concurrent investments in energy infrastructure and careful attention to local contexts, rather than treating digital solutions as standalone interventions. This study contributes to broader discussions about equitable digital transformation in agriculture by highlighting how foundational infrastructure and supportive policy environments shape the potential for technological innovation to reach and benefit smallholder farmers.