The tools to irrigate Africa

KickStart’s award-winning, MoneyMaker-branded, easy-to-use, irrigation technologies are uniquely designed for smallholder farmers to leverage their existing assets and skills, greatly increase their productivity, and earn a lot more money. 

MoneyMaker Starter Pump

For farmers just starting out

Our newest and most affordable irrigation pump, with the ability to irrigate up to one acre a day.

MoneyMaker Hip Pump

For small but growing farms

A mid-sized option, designed to be easily operated by rocking weight back and forth.

MoneyMaker Max Pump

For farmers ready to scale up their business

Our best-selling treadle pumps, easy to use and capable of irrigating two acres a day

Farmer-centric design

We don’t design and build products in a vacuum. KickStart puts farmer feedback at the center of our design process, ensuring all our tools work – and keep working – for real farmers under real farming conditions. 

  • Affordable to buy and use – with cost recovery in one season  
  • Easy to operate – hydrodynamic and mechanical efficiency   
  • Strong and durable – for harsh and remote environments  
  • Portable & storable – lightweight and easy to carry to the field 
  • Plug and Play – easy installation, no tools required and hosepipes included
  • Simple maintenance – spare parts included
  • Quality guaranteed – unique serial numbers and one year warranty  
  • Sustainable – hosepipes and spare parts included 
  • Age and gender inclusive – easy to use and designed for cultural sensitivity  
  • Green technology – no need for expensive fuel or electricity  

Green solutions

Powered by human and small-scale solar capacities, KickStart’s pumps utilize shallow aquifers up to 8 meters deep, avoiding potential over-drafting of the water supply, unlike diesel-powered or large solar/grid-powered deep-lift pumps. KickStart’s line of pumps use clean energy and high-water efficiency hosepipe, sprinkler, or drip irrigation, which enable close targeting, safeguarding water resources, soil health and nutrients.

Getting pumps to farmers through a network of partners

Partnerships are a key channel for KickStart to reach as many farmers as possible across the continent. KickStart partners with local and regional development groups with existing networks of farmers. From international nonprofits to farmer cooperatives and local agribusinesses, we strive to bring the benefits of irrigation to diverse programs and sectors. 

Pumps that have life-changing impact

With our highly innovative irrigation pumps, farmers across Africa can improve their livelihoods, build climate resilience, foster women’s empowerment, and improve household nutrition.

Food & Nutritional Security

Livelihoods

Women’s Empowerment

Refugee & IDP Services

Conflict & Peacebuilding

Climate Adaptation & Mitigation

Environmental Conservation

Youth Employment

Financing to ensure access

KickStart works with MFIs, banks, CoOps, VSLAs, and other financing partners across SSA to provide and expand financial access to farmers to buy pumps, especially women and youth who often have little access to credit.

De-risking agricultural loans

KickStart promotes specially designed “irrigation loans”, which enable farmers to buy pumps and pay off the loans in 6-9 months.

  • Lower-risk: Financing small-scale irrigation is much lower risk than financing rain-fed farming.
  • Climate resilient: Year-round production and profits that are resilient to drought and dry spells serve to reduce defaults.
  • Fast repayment: Rapid cost-recovery from selling high-value crops in off-seasons means that after a small down payment and 3–4-month payment holiday, loans can be fully repaid.

Our Africa-wide network

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Invest in our life-changing products

By investing in our products, you are empowering farming families in Africa, changing their lives, and setting them up to thrive.