Aftrak is a UK social venture combining solar microgrids and micro electric tractors to raise crop yields and smallholder incomes, while bringing clean electricity to rural communities.
The story begins in Africa, where co-founder Jonathan Wilson saw the same two problems everywhere: no reliable power, and farming done entirely by hand. The two are connected. Solving them together, with one system a community can own and run, is the whole idea.
The focus is impact rather than profit. Products are made with people, for people, at prices they can afford.
Empower smallholder farmers with green energy solutions, fueling global prosperity and sustainable food security.
Deliver clean energy tractors tailored to the unique needs of smallholder farmers, and microgrids to provide reliable clean energy to local communities.
The partnership provides a diverse skill set to ensure effective technological innovation and social integration of Aftrak.
The Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering is one of the biggest engineering schools of its kind in the UK, with a research portfolio of around £52 million. The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) has around 60 academics, researchers and PhD students, and laboratory facilities for prototype manufacture and testing.
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Tiyeni UK is a UK-based NGO that funded the development of Deep Bed Farming as a response to extreme food poverty in Malawi. Tiyeni Malawi is a Malawian company owned by Tiyeni UK and operated at arm's length by a Malawian team, growing to meet demand for DBF training following government approval of the approach.
Farmers adopting Deep Bed Farming typically raise their yields about two and a half times, and their revenue by up to twelve times, while all but eliminating expensive imported fertilisers.
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A global industry association and research organisation based in London with offices in the US and EU, setting the standard for advanced lead batteries and next-generation energy storage. Lead battery technology supports almost fully recyclable batteries using existing recycling streams.
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A Cape Town manufacturing and distribution company building Africa's in-country industrial capability. Under a supply agreement announced in April 2026, GMA assembles AFT-e1 kits at its Cape Town facility and distributes and supports the machine across South Africa and the wider SADC region.
The support is the point: a local spares library, a certified repair technician network and structured farmer training, so a machine sold in year one is still working in year ten.
Visit GMA →The next step is to localise production. An Aftrak manufacturing hub in Blantyre, southern Malawi will be the first manufacturing hub for micro electric tractors in sub-Saharan Africa, built on existing local expertise and a resilient supply chain.
Feasibility studies at several sites are complete, global supply chain partnerships are in place, and design for assembly is finished.
Where the machines are, who builds and sells them, and who is using them.
Where we workCountries, hubs and installations, on a map.
Partners & distributionAssembly, distribution, programme delivery and dealer territories.
Sites and deploymentsThe holdings and sites using an AFT-e1, written up in full.
Awards & recognitionPrizes, grants and the programmes behind them.
Brochures & datasheetsThe brochure and per-product datasheets, as PDFs.
Find a distributorWho to buy from, by country and category.Announcements, deployments and technical notes.
Aftrak recruits in the UK and in-country. Roles in engineering, assembly, field support and programme delivery are posted here when open.