Status of the African tea market
The African tea market is booming, with growing production in East and Central Africa, as well as consumption in the north and west of the continent. Now, producers in every tea-growing country want to raise their profile and capture new markets. Morocco is very fond of green tea, while markets such as Egypt are very fond of black tea, and other markets follow both patterns, sometimes opting for green tea and black tea.
Kenya: largest producer
Kenya is by far Africa's largest tea producer, and its location across the equator means it can be harvested year-round. Kenyan tea farmers are considered major contributors to black tea blends, especially black tea and milk, and have stepped up their marketing efforts. It is now common to find pure leaf black tea on supermarket shelves. The trend towards diversification is growing with the introduction of some orthodox black teas and some green teas. Just a few months ago, Nandi Hills brought a new white tea to the Western market.
With a thriving and healthy tea industry continuing to grow for over 100 years, the country is sure to maintain its leadership.
Uganda: still recovering
Uganda, Africa's second-largest tea producer, is still recovering from the chaotic and devastating mismanagement of Idi Amin from 1971 to 1981. In 1981, it was destroyed and yields dropped to just 5 percent of what they were harvested a decade earlier. Uganda's truly humid climate could make its annual tea crop more climate-resistant, which could be an asset for further development.
Black tea leaves 83
Malawi: Tea is an important crop
Malawi, the first country in Africa to produce tea, is part of three major countries and has been part of all major tea aromas in the UK since its inception, due to its rich red hue in tea sets. With limited inland arable land, tea is an important crop in Malawi, and sugar and tobacco are three cash crops that generate much-needed foreign exchange. Western consumers have recently discovered some high-quality green tea, oolong tea, and even white tea from Malawi, drawing attention to the country's tea economy and making it more famous.
The remaining 10 African tea producers continued to expand their plantations and continued to produce mainly black carbon tetrachloride for blending. Of these, Rwanda stands out for its many years of quality and terroir teas, as well as organic black teas.
current strategy
The goal of the African tea market is to first improve product quality and then enhance product image through more origin brands, thereby increasing revenue and occupying new consumer markets. This translates into new offers for orthodox, specialty and terroir teas mainly from Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi. Most of these new teas were not known until a few years ago, but today they can be found in Europe.
