Kenya’s coffee chain giant Java House Africa has signed an agreement with a Shanghai-based Conglomerate C.J. Smart Cargo International.
The deal will see Kenyan special coffee and tea sold online across major cities in China.
Africachain under Shanghai Greenchain Limited, a subsidiary of C.J. Smart Cargo International, will sell Java’s Kenya AA Arabica coffee and Gold Label Tea brands.
Java chief executive officer Paul Smith, said the deal aims to take Java Kenya AA Arabica coffee closer to the Chinese who make up some of its biggest consumers.
He said the deal will see Java export 10 to 15 tonnes of its 375gm bags every month.
“Having spent five years living and working in China, I have been exposed to this company and know its reputation well and as Java, we are delighted to be working with them,” said Mr. Smith
“We know that some of our biggest customers buying our coffee in Java are the Chinese, so why not take it to them,” said Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith said this is part of Java’s key strategy to supply Kenyan coffee across the world, with initial targets being Europe, USA, and China, owing to increased demand for specialty coffee.
Java, which opened the first outlet in 1999, has 57 stores across Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
“This is a great opportunity to continue the expansion of Java House into international markets.
“China is one of the world’s biggest markets, and in line with Kenya’s 2030 vision of creating a deliberate export push for local goods, we are delighted to be supporting this vision, with this deal,” he said.
“Further to this, we are carefully looking at the potential of opening our brands, including Java House Restaurants in China.”