Exhibition reinforces strength of Africa's coffee, tea industry
The just-concluded Africa Coffee and Tea Exhibition 2026 reinforced the strength of the continent’s coffee and tea industry, organizers said Friday as the event closed in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.
The event that ran from Wednesday drew coffee and tea producers, buyers, roasters, processors, policymakers and industry experts from across Africa and beyond to explore opportunities for growth, innovation, value addition, and market expansion within the continent's two most important beverage industries.
It featured exhibitions showcasing Africa’s finest coffee and tea products, cupping sessions and networking opportunities designed to connect African producers with international markets.
In a post on X, the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) hailed the event as having created meaningful connections, productive engagements and new business opportunities.
“From insightful discussions with buyers to coffee and tea tasting experiences highlighting the richness of African flavors, the exhibition has reinforced the strength of Africa's coffee and tea industry,” it said.
Earlier, while officially opening the event, Rwanda Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Telesphore Ndabamenye called on Africa to move beyond exporting raw coffee and tea by investing in value addition through roasting, blending, packaging, branding, and innovation.
He underlined the importance of climate-smart agriculture, stronger regional trade, investment in farmers and processors, and creating opportunities for youth and women.
The minister commended the role of coffee and tea in sustaining families, education of children, and generating the foreign exchange that helps build nations.
Rwanda has been described as the heart of Africa’s coffee and tea production.
The country exported 39.5 million kilograms of tea, generating 117 million U.S. dollars in the year 2025, according to figures from the agriculture ministry cited by the minister.
During the same period, Rwanda exported 22 million kilograms of coffee which generated 139 million U.S. dollars.
“Coffee and tea are far more than commodities. They are heritage. They are livelihoods. Across Africa, tens of millions of smallholder farmers, a great many of them women and young people, rise before dawn to tend these crops,” Ndabamenye said.
The minister stressed the need for the continent to move away from exporting raw green beans, which he said Africa buys back as finished products at a much higher price.
“This must change, and it is changing. The future of African coffee and tea lies not only in how much we grow, but in how much value we add before our products leave our shores: in roasting, blending, packaging, branding, and in telling our own story to the world,” he said.
To seize this opportunity, he added, we must confront our challenges and protect these climate-sensitive crops through climate-smart and conservation agriculture, resilient varieties, and the careful stewardship of our soils and water.
Organized by NAEB and other partners, the event was convened under the theme “Blending Africa’s Finesse with Global Business.”
Racheal Mwayiki, Project Lead for the exhibition said the event offered industry players a platform to connect, exchange knowledge and form long term partnerships.
