Coast 4C
A social enterprise supporting small-scale fishing communities with data, traceability and market platforms in Africa and beyond
Key Details
Project Lead: ABALOBI
Financial Innovation: Apps & Tech
Financial Support: Received mentoring, training and financial support from the second cycle of the Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (ORIC), which was financially supported by Swiss Re Foundation and the UK Government’s Blue Planet Fund. ABALOBI also received funding from the Government of Canada.
Location: South Africa
Project Timeline: Ended (2023-2025)
People Supported: 8,117 direct beneficiaries (36,525 indirect beneficiaries)
Summary
ORRAA is working with ABALOBI, a technology-driven company enhancing the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities in South Africa and beyond. By applying data and Technology for Good, ABALOBI is developing thriving, equitable, resilient and sustainable fishing ecosystems that empower local fishers and promote responsible fishing practices.
Its tech platform enables fishers to track income, access savings opportunities, and build financial resilience by diverting a portion of their earnings into savings for essentials like boat repairs or household expenses during lean seasons. ABALOBI also launched a life insurance product linked to a responsible fisheries programme.
This innovative project began with support from ORRAA’s Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (ORIC) in 2022 and ABALOBI was later selected as a 2023 Earthshot Prize finalist. ABALOBI is working with ORRAA to expand its financial services, including tailored insurance products, while scaling its model across Africa and globally.
Challenge
Small-scale fishers in Africa and across the Global South often struggle to access basic financial services. Their income rises and falls with the seasons, how much they catch, and when middlemen pay. Without access to savings accounts, loans, credit, or insurance, many fishers live hand-to-mouth and sometimes rely on moneylenders. This leaves coastal communities financially vulnerable and less able to cope with increasing unexpected challenges.
Solution
ABALOBI tackles this challenge with a tech platform designed for small-scale fishers. The FISHER app offers a range of tools, including allocating catch to a digital marketplace, alongside delivery and payment systems, marketing support and training.
ORRAA supported ABALOBI to further improve and expand its bundled financial services, offering savings and business cash advances, improving sign-up and support as more fishers were onboarded. ABALOBI also integrated insurance products tailored to small-scale fishers’ unique challenges and needs into its financial service offerings.
Scalability and Next Steps
Today, ABALOBI’s platform is deployed in South Africa and Kenya, while it has been piloted already in the Seychelles, Palau, Madagascar, Ireland, Chile, and the Comoros. ABALOBI works through partners and a local ownership model. Its 2026 vision, “Marking the next stage in its growth”, envisions itself becoming a global catalyst of fisher-driven technology, small-scale fisheries markets and financial services provider. Each deployment reaches profitability within a few years, and contributes to the scaling of the global programme.
“We’re delighted that ORRAA is helping ABALOBI to scale its impact and continue to iterate on its embedded financial services” – Serge Raemaekers, Co-Founder & Executive Director, ABALOBI
