How Karidas Tshintsholo Built Khula to Revolutionize South African Farming
How Karidas Tshintsholo Built Khula to Revolutionize South African Farming. In 2016, Karidas Tshintsholo, Matthew Piper and Jackson Dyora launched Khula, an agritech startup aimed at tackling the challenges facing small-scale farmers in South Africa. What began as loading spinach into the back of a Polo has grown into a platform serving 20 000 farmers, raising over R126 million in funding, and transforming agricultural supply chains with innovation, grit, and strategic growth.
Identifying a Critical Market Need
Karidas grew up outside Pretoria and saw firsthand how local farmers struggled to access inputs, financing, and reliable markets. This insight fueled his desire to build a digital platform that would streamline the entire farm-to-market process. By 2016 he, Matthew and Jackson had developed Khula’s first solution, an app to connect farmers with suppliers and buyers.
From Wire Cars to Startup Innovator
Before founding Khula, Karidas sold hand‑made wire cars in townships and studied commerce at UCT. That background honed his entrepreneurial instincts and grounded him in customer‑centred thinking. His work on earlier ventures gave him the confidence to take on systemic agricultural challenges.
Core Milestones Shaping Khula’s Journey
- 2016 Launch: An initial MVP connecting spinach farmers to local buyers proved product‑market fit.
- 2018 Recognition: Khula won MTN App of the Year and the Anzisha Early‑Stage Growth Award, helping attract seed funding and credibility.
- Series A: With R126 million raised from Absa, AECI, PepsiCo’s Kgodiso Fund, and existing investors, Khula could scale data, logistics, and farmer support.
- National Growth: The platform now works with over 20 000 farmers, links them to input suppliers.
Strategic Decisions Behind Growth
Khula’s success comes from blending technology with local realities:
- Focusing on usability first: Karidas emphasises that early efforts went into solving real farmer problems before scaling.
- Leveraging awards for traction: Industry recognition unlocked investor and partner interest, accelerating growth.
- Building partnerships: Engaging with Absa, PepsiCo, and AECI has not only provided capital but also credibility and industry reach.
- Maintaining lean but scalable operations: From humble beginnings in a Polo to national logistics, Khula stayed agile at every stage .
Facing Challenges with Innovative Solutions
- Supply chain fragmentation: Khula untangled this by digitising the inputs and produce marketplaces, creating transparency and trust.
- Trust issues in buyer-seller relationships: Khula introduced a vetted trading system that connects farmers to credible buyers.
- Capital constraints: Instead of chasing large funds early, Khula grew revenue organically, then leveraged recognition to secure better investment terms.
Powerful Lessons for Founders
- Start with user needs: Build a minimal viable product that solves a clear problem before scaling.
- Validate through recognition: Awards and press attention can open doors to partnerships and funding.
- Partner for growth: Strategic investors bring value beyond capital, such as market access and sector credibility.
- Let your network fuel momentum: Karidas’s UCT connections and local credibility underpinned early growth.
- Use milestones as springboards: Each funding round, campaign, or partnership built the runway for the next step.
Charting the Future
Khula is now preparing for continued growth. It is seeking strategic investors for further expansion, piloting operations in Africa, and aiming to streamline access to credit, inputs, and markets across the continent.
Khula’s journey from street-level wire cars to a national agritech platform teaches invaluable lessons: start small, solve real problems, build credibility, stay agile, and partner wisely. These principles helped Karidas Tshintsholo turn a backyard experiment into a transformative force in African agriculture. For founders everywhere, his story shows that combining determination with purpose and strategy can turn local insights into global impact.
