Pioneering the Skies of Tanzania: An Interview with Leka, Drone Data Innovator

 

How Leka Tingitana uses the Mavic 3 Multispectral to elevate precision agriculture and geospatial projects

 

In the dynamic world of drone technology, Leka stands apart as a pillar of Tanzania's rapidly growing drone landscape. With a robust background in technology transfer and social welfare, Leka not only excels as a certified drone pilot and instructor but also pioneers transformative solutions to pressing societal issues.cIn this exclusive interview, we explore his personal journey, his role at Tanzania Flying Labs, and the innovative ways drones like that Mavic 3M are transforming sectors like agriculture in Tanzania.

 

Personal Journey and Background

 

Q: Can you introduce yourself and share your journey into the world of drones?

 

A: My journey actually started with the appreciation of how important mapping is to almost every aspect of our lives. Perennial flooding events in the city of Dar es Salaam made me aware around 2016 that there was a lack of drone data to digitize buildings and other infrastructure for crucial work like crisis mapping. This type of data is required at least once a year to keep up with the growth of the city and this is where my work with drones began.

 

Q: How did you first get involved with drones? Can you remember the first time you flew a drone?

 

A: My first drone flight was with a fixed-wing drone unlike many other pilots who start with quadcopters. This is mainly because there were ongoing large-scale mapping projects in Tanzania and I entered the industry at precisely the right time when the use and acceptance of drones had started to flourish.

 

 

 

Q: What challenges did you face when starting out as a drone pilot, and how did you overcome them?

 

A: It was difficult to get certified at the time unless you went overseas so we brought the certification training to Tanzania. I became and still am the first Instructor in East Africa to train and invigilate the UK GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate).

 

Q: How do you stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in the drone industry?

 

A: I am a member of Flying Labs which is a global network of local drone operators and experts mainly in the Global South. For example, South Africa Flying Labs will be hosting a conference in drones for disaster risk management this month. This is one of the ways I stay up-to-date and share experiences in our local context.

 

 

 

Leka at Tanzania Flying Labs

 

Q: Can you say a little about Tanzania Flying Labs and its mission? How many pilots have been trained by TFL?

 

A: Tanzania is low-key the drone capital of Africa and Tanzania Flying Labs was the first Flying Labs in Africa. As I mentioned before we entered the industry at the perfect time when mapping drones like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro were validated and we used them in other sectors like agriculture as well. Essentially, our main mission is to train new pilots and analysts to use drones for development goals as defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have trained pilots from Sierra Leone all the way South to Namibia.

 

 

 

Q: What is your role at TFL, and what is your typical working day like?

 

A: Like every startup I wear multiple hats. One of my most important roles is story telling. I have realized the importance of this skill over the years and I enjoy it very much. My days are atypical because I have field days and office days. Training is our core mission as mentioned before and community engagement is certainly one of our pillars. The ability to translate gigabytes of data to an actionable visual in the local context is the art.

 

Q: Can you share any memorable experiences or collaborations during your time at TFL?

 

A: As you might be aware Tanzania is one of the cradles of mankind. I really enjoyed working with an archaeologist from Kenya to digitize an important historical site in Northern Tanzania called Engaruka. I wish to do more for heritage conservation with drones in the future.

 

We have collaborated with many organizations and academic institutions in Tanzania. For example, our work with World Vision is currently helping to reduce deforestation in Central Tanzania.

 

 

Impact and Applications

 

Q: Can you talk about the Mavic 3M and some of the ways you are using it?

 

A: Our first project in precision agriculture started in 2018 with a NASA partnered project to ground-truth satellite data for food security in Tanzania. This is where I learned about vegetation indices like the NDVI to monitor crop health and how to acquire multispectral data with drones. Since then, more and more medium-scale to commercial farmers are demanding drone data to increase yields and reduce expenses. This year, we acquired the Mavic 3M, which has a flight time of over 45 minutes. This extended duration enables us to map larger farms with a single battery, surpassing what was possible just a few years ago. Its RGB camera is a standout which makes the drone versatile in terms of use-cases other than agriculture. We are currently using the Mavic 3M in a mango and acid-lime farm to monitor tree health.

 

 

 

 

Q: How has the use of drones impacted agriculture in Tanzania?

 

A: Hands down the most successful story is one of my former students becoming one of the premier drone spraying operators in the East Africa region. I actually didn’t believe drone spraying would literally take-off the way it has and it has seen rapid adoption in the country. The Agras T40 has become the current industry standard and I remember back in 2019 we were using the first model (MG-1S) with a 10L tank in rice fields to spray larvicide.

 

Q: What are some unique challenges and opportunities for operating drones in Tanzania?

 

A: Tanzania adopted drone technology early and we were also one of the first countries to draft drone regulations in Africa. We still have issues with maintenance and repair due to lack of certified technicians. It’s expensive and impractical to send drones to countries like South Africa to get repaired when we can do the same at home. The opportunities are boundless when you consider that only 3% of the land in Africa is mapped to local scale compared to 90% in Europe. This alone should keep the entire drone industry busy for a lifetime but so are other opportunities like precision agriculture which employs ~70% of the population.

 

 

 

Future and Innovation

 

Q: Looking forward, what developments in drone technology are you most excited about?

 

A: Swiss Army type drones like the Mavic 3M is more of what I want to see. The RTK is a critical bonus to improve the accuracy of geotagged data and in the past, we have had to pay the price of the Mavic 3M to get the RTK activated in other non-DJI drones. Combining this with the longer flight time and we are good to go. Advancements can be incremental like adding a thermal sensor but also, we need more heat tolerant drones due to our tropical climate and like I said before the right to repair.

 

Q: How do you envision the future of Tanzania Flying Labs?

 

A: TFL will be a geospatial center of excellence providing not only training but data and AI processing services, analysis and visualization.

 

Q: What advice would you give someone interested in becoming an agricultural drone pilot?

 

A: My advice to any Drone Pilot is for them to understand that they should earn the title of calling themselves pilots and follow standard and safety operating procedures. An agriculture drone pilot is unique in that he/she is involved in both monitoring and intervention of crops and therefore they must first learn some agronomy basics to understand crop health, soil quality, spraying and related subjects. This is the only way to advise the farmer accurately to increase yields and save money.

 

 

 

Closing

 

Q: Do you have any final thoughts?

 

A: Let’s not lose focus that most of the farmers or I should say population in the region are so-called small-holders whom drone technology is completely out-of-scope. Their farms feed the family and buy things like school uniforms and they are very vulnerable. We need to reach these farmers and offer the promise of drone data and AI.

 

 

Leka's insights illuminate how drones are not just flying machines but pivotal tools for change, especially in regions like Tanzania. His work is a testament to how technology, when leveraged thoughtfully, can address pressing societal needs and foster sustainable development.

 

 

Learn more about Tanzania Flying Labs: flyinglabs.org/tanzania

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