About San Coffee
Unconventional approaches and entrepreneurship
Rwanda is Africa’s smallest country with a very young population and high unemployment. The scale of the challenge of rebuilding the country after years of conflict cannot be underestimated. It is only through unconventional approaches and entrepreneurship, that we can rebuild and develop future prosperity.
In 2013, our founder, Nsabemungu Aime Christian, joined forces with Uncap, a German enterprise, that was providing seed funding to entrepreneurs.
Nsabemungu recognised that Rwanda’s exceptional coffee came from its perfect growing conditions – high altitude with fertile soils on the slopes of ancient volcanoes and a mix of sunshine and humidity. This helps to produce Rwanda’s signature full-bodied, smooth coffee with notes of vanilla, spice and chocolate and a beautiful, silky finish.
Nsabemungu set up San Coffee Limited in partnership with 300 men, women and youth coffee farmers in western Rwanda. Their aim was to help people develop skills and empower economic and social wellbeing by growing exceptional coffee.
San Coffee today
By investing in the Koakai Cooperative and the 100 Ha Shangi Farm, San Coffee now produces specialty grade Arabica Bourbon and Jackson 2/1257, which cups at 86.
Our cooperative sources the very best cherries from our farmers, who have anywhere between 20 and 8,000 coffee trees. We produce 40 tons of slow-grown coffee beans with intense flavours from these farms.
During harvest, the mountain slopes are alive with the colours of the women’s kitenge fabrics as they pick the bright red cherries. In the distance, you can hear the Nyungwe Rainforest chimpanzees. We have helped secure their safe future by rebuilding our communities, driven and funded by coffee.
Our beans are washed and dried at our station on the shores of Lake Kivu, where the cool mountain air mingles with the moist air of the African Great Lakes, providing the perfect conditions for processing our cherries.
Our mission is to:
-
Provide the best Rwanda processed and green coffee to local and international markets
-
Link farmers with potential buyers
-
Create jobs for Rwandans
-
Promote the Made in Rwanda industry
Unconventional approaches and entrepreneurship
Rwanda is Africa’s smallest country with a very young population and high unemployment. The scale of the challenge of rebuilding the country after years of conflict cannot be underestimated. It is only through unconventional approaches and entrepreneurship, that we can rebuild and develop future prosperity.
In 2013, our founder, Nsabemungu Aime Christian, joined forces with Uncap, a German enterprise, that was providing seed funding to entrepreneurs.
Nsabemungu recognised that Rwanda’s exceptional coffee came from its perfect growing conditions – high altitude with fertile soils on the slopes of ancient volcanoes and a mix of sunshine and humidity. This helps to produce Rwanda’s signature full-bodied, smooth coffee with notes of vanilla, spice and chocolate and a beautiful, silky finish.
Nsabemungu set up San Coffee Limited in partnership with 300 men, women and youth coffee farmers in western Rwanda. Their aim was to help people develop skills and empower economic and social wellbeing by growing exceptional coffee.
San Coffee today
By investing in the Koakai Cooperative and the 100 Ha Shangi Farm, San Coffee now produces specialty grade Arabica Bourbon and Jackson 2/1257, which cups at 86.
Our cooperative sources the very best cherries from our farmers, who have anywhere between 20 and 8,000 coffee trees. We produce 40 tons of slow-grown coffee beans with intense flavours from these farms.
During harvest, the mountain slopes are alive with the colours of the women’s kitenge fabrics as they pick the bright red cherries. In the distance, you can hear the Nyungwe Rainforest chimpanzees. We have helped secure their safe future by rebuilding our communities, driven and funded by coffee.
Our beans are washed and dried at our station on the shores of Lake Kivu, where the cool mountain air mingles with the moist air of the African Great Lakes, providing the perfect conditions for processing our cherries.
Our mission is to:
-
Provide the best Rwanda processed and green coffee to local and international markets
-
Link farmers with potential buyers
-
Create jobs for Rwandans
-
Promote the Made in Rwanda industry
Our customers:
We have 4 key customer groups:
-
Small and medium local supermarkets in Rwanda
-
Local coffee businesses in Goma and Bukavu
-
Coffee roasters in the United Kingdom, Australia, Quatar and Canada
-
Weekend markets and hotels to serve individual customers
-
Repeat customers make up 80% of all San Coffee sales.
In the future, we would like to work with big Rwandan exporters like Rwacof and Coopac.
