Africa must transform its coffee industry by investing in processing, branding and value addition instead of continuing to export raw beans and later importing finished products at higher prices, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr. Thelesphore Ndabamenye has said.
Speaking on Wednesday while opening the Africa Coffee and Tea Expo (ACT Expo 2026) in Kigali, Ndabamenye said the continent, as the birthplace of coffee, has a responsibility to capture more value from the crop before it reaches global markets.
The three-day expo has attracted more than 600 participants from 32 countries, bringing together coffee and tea producers, exporters, investors, policymakers and industry experts to discuss the future of Africa’s beverage sector.
“Africa is the origin of coffee. This is where coffee started before spreading to the rest of the world. Yet for many years, our continent has exported unprocessed coffee and later bought it back after processing at much higher prices. This must change, and it is changing,” Ndabamenye said.
He said the future competitiveness of Africa’s coffee and tea sectors will depend not only on increasing production but also on improving quality, processing capacity, packaging and global branding.
“Our future does not depend only on how much coffee and tea we produce, but on the value we add before exporting to international markets. We must process, package, build strong brands and tell our stories through these products,” he said.
Ndabamenye said African countries must also address persistent challenges affecting agricultural production, including climate change, limited access to finance and the need for stronger investment across the value chain.
He urged stakeholders to focus on producing high-quality products capable of competing in global markets while creating more benefits for farmers and local economies.
Rwanda, he said, has prioritized agriculture as a key driver of national development and continues to strengthen policies that encourage investment, innovation and value addition in the sector.
Coffee and tea remain among Rwanda’s top export earners.
In 2025, Rwanda exported more than 40,000 tonnes of tea, generating over Rwf170 billion in revenue, while coffee exports exceeded 20,000 tonnes and earned more than Rwf200 billion.
Over the past five years, coffee exports generated more than Rwf773 billion, while tea exports brought in over Rwf782 billion.
The two crops also support thousands of livelihoods, with about 400,000 people involved in coffee production and processing and more than 100,000 working in tea farming and related industries.
The ACT Expo 2026 is expected to provide a platform for strengthening partnerships, expanding markets and promoting African coffee and tea products on the global stage.
