TWilfred Poggenpohl, 59, is a fisherman from Lamberts Bay, a picturesque town 270 miles north of Cape Town and popular with surfers. 17,000 pairs of Cape Gannets. Five years ago, he decided to join the company. A virtual marketplace called AbalobiThis will allow fishermen like him to use custom-built apps to sell their catch directly to restaurants, retailers, and consumers.
“Prices are lower, and we can sell more seeds,” he says. “I bought a 60 horsepower motor, which I couldn’t afford before. I bought a second boat.” He joined because he didn’t want to spend all day walking around town in the sun selling fish, he says. “My quality of life has improved. I was also able to help the elderly in my community.”
Abarobi (meaning fisherman in Isishosa, one of South Africa’s official languages) aims to support small-scale fishermen who make up the majority of South Africa’s fishing industry but have traditionally been financially excluded from fishing. is a technology-related non-profit organization active in .
Poggenpohl says using Abalobi has improved his quality of life. Photo: Abarobi
At the core of the platform are three apps. Poggenpohl uses the Fishers app, which allows fishermen to upload details of their daily catches to a database. The Marketplace app then shows customers at restaurants, hotels, and at home what’s available, allowing them to buy fresh fish directly from the person who caught it on fully traceable fishing lines. The Monitor app captures data provided by fishermen to help scientists better manage fisheries and fish populations.
“We buy about 100kg of fish every week via Abalobi,” says Kelly Kilpin, executive chef of two restaurants at Steenberg Wine Farm in Cape Town. “Not more expensive than other suppliers; It’s much fresher. ”
Source: www.theguardian.com
