Overview
Pollination Africa is a continental summit organized by SAADIT and partners, bringing together delegates from across Africa — farmers, researchers, NGOs, government officials, and agribusinesses — in Arusha, Tanzania to advance pollinator conservation for food security.
We designed, developed, and maintain the entire digital infrastructure: a public-facing conference website, an online registration system with integrated payments, an admin management portal, and a staff badge verification system for secure check-in.
The Challenge
The organizers had no digital infrastructure — registration was handled via email and spreadsheets, payments were tracked manually through bank transfers, there was no way to verify delegates at the venue, and staff had no tools to manage the event in real time.
With delegates from multiple countries, partner organizations, and a multi-day program with multiple tracks, they needed a platform that could handle everything from registration to on-the-ground operations.
Our Approach
We built a branded public website showcasing the summit agenda, speakers, partners, venue logistics, and accommodation options — all SEO-optimized for the niche audience searching for the event.
The registration system supports both delegate and exhibitor sign-ups with tiered pricing and early bird discounts. M-Pesa STK Push handles East African mobile money payments, while card payment support covers international delegates.
The admin management portal gives organizers real-time visibility into registrations, payment statuses, and attendee data with export capabilities for reporting.
Badge Verification System
We built a staff badge verification system using QR codes — staff scan delegate badges at entry points for instant identity verification and attendance tracking. No special hardware required — any smartphone with a camera works.
Crucially, we implemented this as a Progressive Web App with service worker support. When venue Wi-Fi dropped (which it did), staff could still verify badges offline. Data syncs automatically when connectivity returns.
The Results
Registration and payments are fully automated — no more email chains and manual bank transfer tracking. Delegates are verified at entry in seconds via QR badge scan instead of paper lists.
Organizers manage the entire event from a single dashboard in real time. Offline check-in works even when venue Wi-Fi drops, thanks to PWA architecture.
Looking Ahead
The platform is being extended for the next summit cycle with support for session-level attendance tracking, speaker management, and post-event engagement features for the growing Pollination Africa community.
