I received my copy of Business 2.0 magazine last week and was pleasantly surprised to see a number of articles referencing doing business in Africa. But these were not just your basic help the Africans by building water sheds articles. The articles were part of the cover article on the Best business ideas in the world.
One of the articles was about Rwandan entrepreneur Arthur Karuletwa whose company Inzozi Coffee Traders, LLC is tapping into Rwanda’s supply of coffee farms and helping change the image of the war-torn nation. I remember going into Starbucks a while ago (like a true New Yorker I love my coffee) and seeing a promotion on Rwandan coffee. I didn’t pay much attention to the coffee special but I did get a sense of relating Rwanda to coffee. Mr. Karuletwa had partnered with coffee giants Starbucks on their Black Apron Exclusives coffee campaign. According to a Starbucks’ Report the Black Apron Exclusives coffees are a rare honor bestowed upon only the best and most exceptional coffees found in the world, and are produced in limited supply. It turns out coffee is big business in Rwanda, and if you listen to the writer’s suggestions, there is great opportunity for anyone who is willing to bridge the gap between the coffee farmers and the the caffeine starved American public
For further information about where to get into business in Africa check out this excellent video Africa Open for business. Put your money where your mouth is.