What happens when an entrepreneur stops asking, “How do we give farmers credit?” and starts asking, “What do farmers need credit for?”

For Emmanuel Twesigye, CEO and Team Leader at Everlend Agritech Ltd in Uganda, the answer came through experience.

It also came through experimentation, learning and a willingness to change direction.

Today, Everlend is helping expand agricultural finance for smallholder farmers in Uganda. Its focus is on women and young people who often struggle to access traditional financial services.

Many lack collateral. Others have little or no formal credit history. Everlend is finding new ways to bridge that gap.

When cash loans did not work

Everlend initially offered farmers unsecured cash loans of between $50 and $500. The goal was to give farmers the money they needed to invest in their farms.

But the model faced a major challenge. Repayment rates fell below 50%.

Farmers were often using the money to meet urgent household needs. These included school fees, medical bills and other expenses. For Everlend, this was a lesson. The team realised that farmers needed finance that was tied more closely to their farming activities. So the business changed its approach.

From cash to farm inputs

Everlend moved away from unrestricted cash loans. Instead, it began providing farmers with productive inputs. These include drought-resistant seeds and organic agro-inputs. The company also changed how farmers repay their loans.

Instead of repaying in cash, farmers can repay through produce. This shift helped align the financing model with the realities of smallholder farming.

It also answered a more important question:

What do farmers actually need to grow?

Combining finance with technology

Everlend’s model has continued to evolve. Today, the company combines several services to support farmers.

These include:

• Unsecured credit
• Quality seeds and organic agro-inputs
• AI-powered credit scoring
• Crop and soil health monitoring
• Farmer training

Together, these services help farmers access the resources they need to improve productivity and profitability. Technology also plays an important role.

AI-powered credit scoring can help assess farmers who may not have traditional credit histories. This can create new opportunities for people who are often left out of formal financial systems.

Support that helped Everlend grow

Everlend’s journey was further strengthened through the Challenger Digital & Green Innovation Programme. The programme provided mentorship, one-on-one support and masterclasses. These opportunities helped the team refine its technology and strengthen its business model.

The programme also created opportunities to learn from other entrepreneurs. That exposure opened the door to new markets and new ideas. One result is an upgraded digital platform. The platform better captures the breadth of Everlend’s work and impact. The company is also looking beyond Uganda. Its exposure to Kenyan entrepreneurs has helped put Kenya on the map as a potential next market for expansion.

Three lessons from Everlend’s journey

1. Innovation starts with iteration

Everlend’s first model did not work as planned. Instead of giving up, the team looked at what the results were telling them. Low repayment rates revealed a deeper issue. Farmers needed financing for productive activities, not just unrestricted cash.

That insight helped Everlend build a stronger model. The lesson is simple:

When something does not work, listen to what it is teaching you.

2. Listen to the customer

Innovation does not always begin with new technology. Sometimes, it begins with a conversation. Everlend learned by looking at how farmers were actually using their loans. That insight changed both the product and the repayment model. The result was a solution designed around farmers’ real needs.

3. The right support can unlock growth

Building a scalable business takes more than a good idea. Entrepreneurs also need the right networks, skills and support. For Everlend, mentorship and peer learning helped strengthen its business and technology. Market exposure also helped the team think beyond Uganda. That has created new possibilities for regional expansion.

What comes next?

Everlend’s story shows how agricultural finance for smallholder farmers can evolve when businesses listen, learn and adapt.

The company started with cash loans. It then moved to productive inputs and produce-based repayment. Today, it is combining finance, technology, agricultural inputs and training to support smallholder farmers. And there could be more growth ahead. With Kenya firmly in its sights, Everlend is exploring what its model could look like in a new market.

For GrowthAfrica, this is what entrepreneur support is about. It is about creating the space, connections and capabilities for entrepreneurs to test, learn and adapt. It is about helping businesses turn potential into sustainable growth.

And for Everlend, the next chapter could be bigger than Uganda. Because sometimes, better agricultural finance is not about giving farmers more credit.

It is about giving them the right resources to make that credit grow.