A Good African Story: How a Small Company Built a Global Coffee Brand

Entrepreneur Rugasira has, without a doubt, done great things for his native Uganda by working to help coffee farmers make a living wage and educate their children. Raised in war-torn region, in 2003 he decided to work with Ugandan coffee farmers to produce high-end coffee and distribute it to African and international markets. At that stage, Uganda was producing 200,000 tons of coffee annually, but only as raw beans that were shipped elsewhere for processing. Distraught over the state of the continent, Rugasira aimed to “create genuine and sustainable community transformation.” Spurred on by the mantra of “trade not aid,” he dedicated the next decade to launching Good African Coffee. The book covers the company’s expansion to the U.K. and the U.S., as well as discussing Africa’s poverty, instability, politics, and economics. Takeaways for readers include lessons on perseverance, financial literacy, and faith. Though intra-Africa trade accounts for less than 10% of total trade, companies like Rugasira’s are helping African entrepreneurs reduce chronic dependency on aid organizations and corrupt governments. Though the book is marred by dull writing, it is chock-full of good intentions.[em] Agent: Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.). (July) [/em]