In rural Malawi, where agriculture powers most livelihoods, financial losses from small payment discrepancies can significantly impact farmers and suppliers.
Recognizing this, Ashers Foods, a value addition startup based 200km outside Lilongwe has developed Pay per Coin, a digital payment platform aimed at ensuring farmers and their partners receive full value for their money.
According to Watupa Wyson Mtambo, Founder and Operations Manager of Ashers Foods, the platform was born out of a recurring problem: people regularly lose money when dealing with cash payments. “If someone is owed $49.20, they’re often given $50 with no change. Over time, this adds up and eats into people’s earnings,” she explains.
Pay per Coin enables digital, local-currency transactions where exact amounts are paid and received, eliminating rounding losses. Beyond agriculture, the platform also allows users to pay bills, purchase airtime, and send or receive money making it a versatile financial tool.
Despite its potential, the platform faces challenges including limited digital literacy, low adoption, weak internet infrastructure, and minimal funding. Watupa urges for more capacity-building and cross-border financial literacy training, particularly for farmers and small-scale traders navigating multiple currencies and payment systems across Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
As featured on Day 28 of the #40Days40FinTechs initiative, Pay per Coin is an example of how localized digital innovations are helping bridge financial inclusion gaps in underserved communities. The initiative, led by HiPipo in partnership with the COMESA Business Council, highlights such solutions to promote equitable access to digital finance across Africa.
