New market traders can phone an AI business coach trained on experienced mammies’ pricing, stock and customer know-how.

Across Central and West Africa, women known as "mammies" keep local food economies running. Selling ingredients in single-unit formats at open-air markets, they make affordable cooking possible for millions of families living on daily incomes, while supporting their own households in the process. But becoming a successful market trader takes years of hard-won experience: learning to price correctly, manage stock, control portions, and maintain cash flow. For younger women entering the trade, that learning curve is steep, and low literacy levels and limited internet access make it steeper. MAGGI, Nestlé's seasoning brand, aims to lend a hand with MAGGI MAMI , an AI-powered business advisor that new mammies can access by calling a toll-free number from any basic mobile phone — no internet connection or smartphone required.

What matters most about MAMI is what it's trained on.…