StokData Africa grew out of a problem its founder, Tendai Gavaza, knew firsthand: managing a farm in Zimbabwe while living thousands of kilometres away in Melbourne. Expenses were difficult to verify, devices containing farm records were stolen, and 32 goats were lost without an explanation. Those experiences pushed her to build a platform that brings farm operations, workforce management and financial records into one system.
Launched in 2026, the self-funded business has reached 96 farmers, according to Gavaza. It supports livestock, poultry and horticulture operations, with tools for payroll, expenses, sales and profitability tracking. Its Company and Cooperative Dashboard also serves organisations working with multiple farms.
In this edition of CEO Weekends, Gavaza speaks to TechMoran about turning personal setbacks into a business, helping farmers understand their finances, and her ambitions to expand across Africa.
Tell us about yourself and your journey into farming, technology and entrepreneurship.
I’m Tendai Gavaza, a Zimbabwean farmer, entrepreneur and founder of StokData Africa, currently based in Melbourne, Australia.
I grew up in Gweru, Zimbabwe, where farming was part of everyday life. I lost my parents at a young age, and my grandparents shaped my values. Despite my grandmother having severe osteoarthritis and my grandfather being blind, they continued working on the land. Their determination taught me resilience, discipline and hard work.
My journey into technology began through the challenges of managing farming operations in Zimbabwe while living overseas. I realised how difficult it was to manage livestock, workers, expenses and records remotely.
Rather than simply accepting those challenges, I decided to build a solution. That’s how StokData Africa was born, combining my farming experience with my passion for solving practical problems through technology.
What happened on your farm that convinced you to build StokData?
StokData was born out of frustration with managing my farm in Zimbabwe while living in Australia. Money would go missing, expenses were difficult to verify, and there was little accountability for farm resources.
Things worsened when a former farm manager stole my laptop containing important records. We also lost WhatsApp records when a phone was stolen. To make matters worse, we lost 32 goats without being able to establish the cause.
I realised farming is also a business that requires proper financial management and, at times, external funding. I needed to understand my expenditure, measure profitability and maintain reliable records that could support business decisions and potential funding applications.
I couldn’t continue relying on scattered records and verbal reports. I needed one system to manage my farm, monitor accountability and understand its financial performance, even from thousands of kilometres away. That’s how StokData Africa was born.
What does the platform do, and how do farmers use it?
StokData Africa is a farm management platform that brings different farming activities into one system, including cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits, poultry and horticulture, alongside workers, payroll, expenses, sales and profitability.
Farmers and their teams can record daily activities through the mobile app, including offline when connectivity is limited. Farm owners can monitor operations, track finances and make informed decisions from anywhere.
Our new Company and Cooperative Dashboard also supports cooperatives, agricultural organisations and lenders by providing visibility into participating farming operations and relevant records, subject to appropriate access permissions.
StokData also includes AI features that provide agricultural guidance. Our goal is to improve accountability, reduce paperwork and financial losses, and help farmers manage their farms as profitable, well-organised businesses.
Why bring livestock, poultry, crops and financial records together? Who are you building for?
African farming is often mixed farming. A farmer may have cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits, poultry and horticultural crops, all within the same operation. Yet many farm management systems focus on just one type of farming, forcing farmers to use multiple tools or rely on paperwork.
I wanted StokData to reflect how we actually farm, bringing everything together in one accessible platform.
Our target market includes smallholder and commercial farmers, farm managers, agricultural cooperatives, farming companies and organisations supporting farmers, including lenders. We also serve people in the diaspora who manage farms back home.
My vision is to make professional farm management accessible to farmers of different sizes, helping them improve accountability, productivity and profitability.
What distinguishes StokData from other farm management platforms?
What makes StokData different is that it was built from my own experience as a farmer, rather than simply identifying a gap in the technology market. I understand the challenges because I’ve lived them.
Many platforms specialise in one area, but StokData brings multiple farming activities, workforce management, financial records and profitability tracking together in one place.
We’ve also considered the realities of farming in Africa, including unreliable internet connectivity, different levels of digital literacy and the need to manage farms remotely.
Our Company and Cooperative Dashboard extends beyond individual farms, allowing agricultural organisations to support participating farmers through a connected system.
For me, technology should adapt to how farmers operate, not force farmers to change everything to accommodate technology.
How does the business make money, and what subscription options do you offer?
StokData Africa operates on a subscription-based business model, with monthly and annual plans designed to make farm management technology accessible to different types of farmers.
We offer a seven-day free trial so farmers can explore the platform before committing to a subscription. Our revenue comes primarily from subscriptions, with additional opportunities through onboarding, training and tailored solutions for agricultural organisations.
For cooperatives, farming companies and other organisations, we’re developing solutions that support the management of multiple participating farms through a central dashboard.
Our approach is to keep the platform affordable while building a sustainable business that can continue improving its services and expanding access to practical farm management technology across Africa.
What traction have you achieved since launching?
StokData Africa launched in 2026, and although we’re still in our early growth stage, we’ve already reached 96 farmers, many of whom manage multiple workers across their farming operations.
We’ve grown through live demonstrations, farming communities and direct engagement with farmers. These interactions have helped us understand their challenges, improve the platform and build relationships with our customers.
We’re also expanding beyond individual farm management with our new Company and Cooperative Dashboard, creating opportunities to work with agricultural organisations supporting multiple farmers.
For me, these early milestones are encouraging because they show that farmers are looking for practical solutions to manage their businesses more effectively. Our focus now is on building trust, continuously improving the platform and reaching more farmers across Africa.
What have been your biggest challenges, and have you secured funding or partnerships?
One of my biggest challenges has been building a technology business while managing my farming operations. Developing an affordable platform that accommodates different types of farming requires continuous investment, learning and improvement.
StokData Africa is currently entirely self-funded, which means being strategic with our resources while continuing to develop the platform and build farmers’ trust.
However, the response has been encouraging. We’re currently in discussions with potential partners in Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia who have expressed significant interest in StokData Africa. Although these conversations are still in their early stages, they demonstrate the platform’s potential beyond Zimbabwe.
Our focus is on building meaningful partnerships that will help us reach more farmers and make professional farm management accessible across Africa.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for agricultural technology in Zimbabwe and across Africa?
I believe Africa has enormous potential in agricultural technology, particularly because so many farmers still rely on manual recordkeeping and traditional management methods.
Technology can help farmers move beyond simply producing crops and livestock to understanding the financial performance of their farming businesses. When farmers can track expenses, monitor productivity and maintain reliable records, they’re better positioned to make informed decisions, reduce losses and potentially access funding.
I also see significant opportunities for cooperatives, agricultural organisations and lenders to use digital platforms to better support farmers and understand their operations.
For me, the future of African agriculture isn’t just about increasing production. It’s about helping farmers build profitable, accountable and sustainable businesses through practical, accessible technology.
What has your experience been as a woman building in agriculture and technology, and what advice would you give other women?
Being a woman in agriculture and technology comes with challenges, particularly in industries where leadership has traditionally been male-dominated. One lesson I’ve learnt is that you cannot wait for everyone to believe in your vision before you start.
Building StokData has required resilience, continuous learning and the confidence to enter unfamiliar spaces. I’ve learnt that determination and a willingness to solve real problems are just as valuable as technical expertise.
My advice to other women is to believe in their ideas, embrace their experiences and not be afraid to start small. Sometimes the hardest paths teach us the greatest life lessons, lessons that stay with us and can inspire generations to come.
The very challenges we overcome today may become the foundation of something meaningful for those who follow us.
What are your expansion plans, and where would you like StokData to be in five years?
I genuinely believe Africa is where the future is. We have incredible talent, resilience and opportunities, and I believe the next five years will see more African businesses and innovators taking their rightful place on the global stage.
I want StokData Africa to be part of that journey. Our vision is to expand across the continent, work with more farmers, cooperatives and agricultural organisations, and help transform farming into profitable, sustainable businesses.
Africa has so much potential, and I want us to build solutions that reflect our realities rather than always looking elsewhere for answers.
In five years, I hope StokData will be recognised not just as a farm management platform, but as part of a generation of African businesses helping shape the continent’s future.
Explore the platform or register for its seven-day free trial at StokData Africa.