MasterCard has partnered with the charity Cafédirect Producers Foundation to develop a mobile marketplace for East African farmers. Named 2KUZE, the marketplace has been launched in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and allows farmers to sell their produce to customers. Buyers can pay via the marketplace, meaning greater transparency and proof of income if farmers want to go on to access financial services such as a loan from a bank. Historically, East African farmers have been victims of shady middlemen who would underpay them for their produce and then make a profit at their expense when they re-sold the items at a market. MasterCard hopes that 2KUZE will help to ensure that farmers get paid a fair price for their crops and animals by removing the middlemen and allowing farmers to be in charge of their own sales.
