Rwanda showcased premium coffee and tea at the inaugural Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival
Rwanda was honoured to participate as the Guest Country at the inaugural Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival, run from 06 to 08 December 2025. The ceremony marked the beginning of a significant platform for deepening commercial ties and expanding Rwanda’s agricultural export footprint.
With support from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the Private Sector Federation (PSF), and the Embassy of Rwanda in Morocco, sixteen (16) Rwandan exporters showcased the country’s finest coffee and tea.
Showcasing excellence, consistency and farmer-centred production
Rwanda’s specialty profile was highlighted throughout the festival. NAEB CEO Claude Bizimana, spoke during the opening engagements, underscored Rwanda’s reputation for excellence:
“Rwanda is internationally recognized for producing some of the finest Arabica Bourbon coffees, grown at high altitudes and known for their sweetness, bright acidity, and exceptional body.”
Rwanda’s coffee sector is sustained by around 400,000 farmers, each tending an average of 300 trees. Together, they produce 330,000–380,000 bags annually, equivalent to 20,000–23,000 metric tons.
To meet the needs of speciality buyers, Rwanda has diversified its processing methods, offering fully washed, honey, natural, and increasingly anaerobic coffees. These innovations have strengthened Rwanda’s competitiveness in premium markets.
Bizimana added that Rwanda’s tea sector remains equally strong, producing high-grade CTC, orthodox teas, and growing volumes of green tea. “Rwandan tea ranks among the best in international auctions, and we are eager to bring more of it to the Moroccan market, where quality is highly valued,” he noted.
Unlocking opportunities in the North African market
The festival offered a strategic platform for Rwandan exporters to engage in B2B discussions, establish distribution partnerships, and explore investment opportunities. Morocco’s dynamic hospitality and retail sector provides a natural entry point to the wider North African region, where demand for high-quality coffee and tea continues to rise.
As the guest country of honour, Rwanda has a platform to deepen partnerships, attract buyers, and negotiate export and processing deals. Visitors can access traceable micro-lots and products tailored for international markets. Morocco, with its growing demand for fine coffee and tea, is a strategic market for Rwanda.
Rwanda’s presence at the Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival also underscored East Africa’s emergence as a leading source of premium specialty beverages, driven by quality, innovation, and sustainability.
NAEB remains committed to supporting exporters, strengthening market linkages, and advancing Rwanda’s position as a trusted supplier of premium coffee and tea to regional and global markets.
Rwanda showcased premium coffee and tea at the inaugural Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival
Rwanda was honoured to participate as the Guest Country at the inaugural Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival, run from 06 to 08 December 2025. The ceremony marked the beginning of a significant platform for deepening commercial ties and expanding Rwanda’s agricultural export footprint.
With support from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the Private Sector Federation (PSF), and the Embassy of Rwanda in Morocco, sixteen (16) Rwandan exporters showcased the country’s finest coffee and tea.
Showcasing excellence, consistency and farmer-centred production
Rwanda’s specialty profile was highlighted throughout the festival. NAEB CEO Claude Bizimana, spoke during the opening engagements, underscored Rwanda’s reputation for excellence:
“Rwanda is internationally recognized for producing some of the finest Arabica Bourbon coffees, grown at high altitudes and known for their sweetness, bright acidity, and exceptional body.”
Rwanda’s coffee sector is sustained by around 400,000 farmers, each tending an average of 300 trees. Together, they produce 330,000–380,000 bags annually, equivalent to 20,000–23,000 metric tons.
To meet the needs of speciality buyers, Rwanda has diversified its processing methods, offering fully washed, honey, natural, and increasingly anaerobic coffees. These innovations have strengthened Rwanda’s competitiveness in premium markets.
Bizimana added that Rwanda’s tea sector remains equally strong, producing high-grade CTC, orthodox teas, and growing volumes of green tea. “Rwandan tea ranks among the best in international auctions, and we are eager to bring more of it to the Moroccan market, where quality is highly valued,” he noted.
Unlocking opportunities in the North African market
The festival offered a strategic platform for Rwandan exporters to engage in B2B discussions, establish distribution partnerships, and explore investment opportunities. Morocco’s dynamic hospitality and retail sector provides a natural entry point to the wider North African region, where demand for high-quality coffee and tea continues to rise.
As the guest country of honour, Rwanda has a platform to deepen partnerships, attract buyers, and negotiate export and processing deals. Visitors can access traceable micro-lots and products tailored for international markets. Morocco, with its growing demand for fine coffee and tea, is a strategic market for Rwanda.
Rwanda’s presence at the Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival also underscored East Africa’s emergence as a leading source of premium specialty beverages, driven by quality, innovation, and sustainability.
NAEB remains committed to supporting exporters, strengthening market linkages, and advancing Rwanda’s position as a trusted supplier of premium coffee and tea to regional and global markets.
