{"id":2000122738,"date":"2026-08-16T12:32:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T10:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000122738"},"modified":"2026-08-16T12:32:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T10:32:29","slug":"karongi-tea-factory-partners-with-izuba-tea-to-boost-rwandan-tea-on-international-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/karongi-tea-factory-partners-with-izuba-tea-to-boost-rwandan-tea-on-international-markets\/","title":{"rendered":"Karongi Tea Factory partners with Izuba Tea to boost Rwandan tea on international markets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The partnership was launched on August 12, in a ceremony attended by representatives of Karongi Tea Factory and Izuba Tea Co. Ltd, Chinese investors, Karongi District Mayor Gerald Muzungu, tea producers organised under the KATECOGRO cooperative, and other stakeholders in the tea sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The joint venture brings together Rwanda\u2019s long-standing experience in tea cultivation and processing with Chinese technology, technical expertise, international trade knowledge and access to one of the world\u2019s largest tea markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partnership driven by quality of Rwandan tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Mutangana, Managing Director of Karongi Tea Factory, said the partnership was partly driven by Chinese investors\u2019 interest in the quality of Rwandan tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTea is an important crop for the country. It contributes to the development of producers and the region as a whole. That is why we decided to look for investors in China. When they came here, they visited the tea plantations and were impressed by the quality of the product. That is what convinced them to invest in this sector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mutijima Bryon, Managing Director of Izuba Tea Co. Ltd, highlighted the importance of working with Chinese experts, describing the partnership as a \u201cstrong technical and commercial bridge to China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaboration is expected to help Izuba Tea add greater value to tea produced in Rwanda and strengthen its presence on international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company aims to become \u201ca globally recognised Rwandan tea company\u201d within the next five years, targeting markets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur role is to combine this natural advantage with the technologies, expertise, investments and access to international markets that are necessary,\u201d Bryon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liu Quiming, speaking on behalf of the Chinese investors, said the partnership followed positive results from tests conducted on Rwandan tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are very happy about this partnership. When we came to Rwanda to test the tea, we were very satisfied. We took samples to China, where they were very well received. We found that the Karongi factory perfectly matched our expectations in terms of its operations and production capacity, which is why we are here today to launch this partnership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding production and value addition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in Karongi District in Rwanda\u2019s Western Province, near Nyungwe Forest, Karongi Tea Factory began operations in 2012 and specialises in tea processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The factory produces several varieties of high-quality tea and has a production capacity of several dozen tonnes per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership is also expected to create additional value in the tea sector, increase farmers\u2019 incomes, strengthen their economic independence and create jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As production expands, improving the transportation of tea from farms to the factory will be important to supporting the sector\u2019s growth and ensuring that farmers can fully benefit from new market opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mutangana said the factory is already working with the KATECOGRO cooperative and that continued improvements in transport infrastructure would help facilitate the movement of tea from farms to the factory and strengthen access to markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe factory started operations in 2012. We already work with the KATECOGRO cooperative, and as the sector grows, continued improvements in infrastructure will be important in facilitating the movement of produce to the factory and connecting farmers to expanding markets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karongi District Mayor Gerald Muzungu said local authorities would continue working with stakeholders to support the development of the project and create an enabling environment for its growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will do everything necessary to ensure the success of this project,\u201d he said, emphasising the initiative\u2019s potential to generate economic opportunities for local communities and contribute to the development of the district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a bridge to the Chinese market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its first phase, Izuba Tea plans to reach an annual production capacity of about 1,000 tonnes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initial phase will form the basis for a broader expansion programme. Shareholders plan to reinvest up to $10 million across four development phases to progressively increase production capacity, modernise technology, expand the product range and strengthen the company\u2019s international distribution network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company also plans to move beyond conventional tea production by developing speciality and value-added products, including matcha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Izuba Tea intends to adapt its production capacity and product portfolio to meet the requirements of different international markets, positioning the joint venture as a potential channel for increasing the global reach of Rwandan tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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Chinese investors expressed satisfaction with the quality of Rwandan tea<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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For David Mutangana, Managing Director of Karongi Tea Factory, the partnership was partly driven by Chinese investors\u2019 interest in the quality of Rwandan tea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Mutijima Bryon, Managing Director of Izuba Co Ltd, emphasised the importance of the partnership with Chinese experts.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Karongi District authorities officially launch a joint venture between Karongi Tea Factory and Izuba Tea Co. Ltd.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Karongi District Mayor Gerald Muzungu said local authorities would continue working with stakeholders to support the development of the project and create an enabling environment for its growth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Located in Karongi District, in Rwanda\u2019s Western Province, near Nyungwe Forest, Karongi Tea Factory began operations in 2012 and specialises in tea processing.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Karongi Tea Factory is also renowned for producing high-quality tea in a range of varieties, with a production capacity of several dozen tonnes per day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Chinese experts have provided specialized machinery to support tea processing.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In its initial phase, Izuba Tea plans to reach an annual tea production capacity of approximately 1,000 tonnes.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The participants also toured the tea processing facilities.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Karongi District mayor also toured the factory to learn more about its tea processing operations.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The participants also sampled a selection of teas produced by the factory.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Tea is one of Rwanda\u2019s long-established export crops and remains an important contributor to the country\u2019s export earnings.


<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Karongi Tea Factory has launched a joint venture with Izuba Tea Co. Ltd. as part of a partnership to develop a range of premium teas that meet export standards and expand its presence in international markets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000122740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[151],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000122738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-editors-choice","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000122740,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":800,"height":533,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","width":800,"height":533},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","width":800,"height":533},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","width":800,"height":533},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","width":800,"height":533},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/IMG_1570-cppp.jpg","width":800,"height":533}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000122738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000122738"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000122738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000122770,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000122738\/revisions\/2000122770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000122740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000122738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000122738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000122738"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000122738"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000122738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}