The first thing a procurement officer sees on HelloChoice is a list of potatoes, onions, and butternut, with price, variety, and volume attached. The platform, launched in 2018, digitizes the opaque, commission-heavy fresh produce markets, promising direct connections and transparent price discovery [Prospeo]. The company is bundling embedded finance and a social impact channel to lock in both sides of a fragmented market.
The wedge is price discovery
HelloChoice operates as a B2B digital marketplace. Farmers list their available produce, and institutional buyers browse and purchase. The platform handles transaction support, including settlement and logistics coordination [YouTube]. The commercial traction is tangible; one potato farming operation reported selling between 33% and 50% of its crop via HelloChoice [Farmer's Weekly, 2026].
A dual-platform strategy
Running parallel to the core marketplace is OneFarm Share, an impact platform that channels surplus or non-commercial grade produce to a network of registered charities [OneFarm, 2026]. The metrics are striking: over 5,000 tonnes of fresh produce distributed, creating an estimated 20 million meals for over one million beneficiaries [News24, 2021].
The fintech layer and bank partnership
In 2024, HelloChoice rolled out multi-wallet functionality aimed at smallholder lending and digital wallets linked to platform trade [Bizcommunity]. In September 2021, Standard Bank took a 25% equity stake in HelloChoice [Ventureburn, Sep 2021]. This is a strategic partnership that provides validation, a massive distribution channel for financial products, and deep credibility with the agricultural sector.
The team and the farm-level insight
Co-founder Graeme Jarvie is a potato farmer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, providing direct insight into producer pain points [Farmer's Weekly, 2026]. CEO and Co-founder Grant Jacobs leads the commercial and platform strategy [Crunchbase].
| Founder | Role | Notable Background |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Jacobs | CEO & Co-Founder | Leads platform strategy and commercial operations [Crunchbase]. |
| Graeme Jarvie | Co-Founder | Active potato farmer in KwaZulu-Natal; investment professional [Farmer's Weekly, 2026][Bloomberg Markets, 2026]. |
Where the model faces pressure
Success depends on achieving liquidity. The competitive set includes Khula, Nile, and SwiftVEE. HelloChoice's answer is its bundled approach: the banking partnership for financial utility and OneFarm Share for social impact.
The next twelve months
The roadmap will likely focus on leveraging Standard Bank's reach to scale the embedded finance products. Key milestones include adoption metrics for the multi-wallet system and expansion into new agricultural commodity verticals.