The story of Tanzanian entrepreneur Ms. Zamda Shaban Mwebea, founder and director of Tausi Coffee.
How did you start your company? “ I started as a small fruits vender. After collecting a little bit of capital (TZS 5.000 /about €2) I bought 5kg of raw coffee beans, roasted them with normal domestic pans and milled them with local hand pestle. I packed the coffee powder in blank plastic bags and sold it at the market. When I realized that my product was marketable, I started to borrow money from individuals and later from microfinance institutions. This gave me the opportunity to buy more stock and to rent a machine for roasting and processing (milling) the coffee beans. Later I bought that machine of the owner for TZS.800.000 (about €380) on credit which I paid in instalments. Fortunately, I attended workshops for entrepreneurs, where I met several stakeholders who came over to visit my business. They awarded me with a modern coffee roasting machine!” What are the biggest challenges you face? “ There are so many challenges, but the most important ones I face concern transportation, energy sources and finding new markets to sell my products. The trucks I need to hire for the distribution of my products and to collect stock are very expensive and consumes most of my revenues. Furthermore I use charcoal as a prime source of energy, which became very costly due to shortage and government conditions. And of course, as my business expands, I need to find new markets. Not only that, but I also have to compete with other entrepreneurs who do have their own trucks for transportation.” How does SME Impact Fund support you? “First of all by providing me a loan, that made it possible to buy more coffee beans (stock) at lower prices during the harvest season. Secondly I benefit a lot from the Business Development Services (BDS) they offer. I learned how to manage my company more professional, for example by using tools to record my cash flow and using marketing tools to promote my products.” How does the growth of your company effect the entire value chain? “The growth of Tausi Coffee effects the small holder farmers and aggregators because they have a market to sell their coffee beans harvest. And of course it benefits the processors who do the roasting and milling for Tausi Coffee. And finally the wholesalers and retailers how can sell a good product to the consumers.” What are your dreams for your company? “My dream is to improve my products by building a big modern factory in an industrial area here in Shinyanga. It would be a big step forward if I can buy new modern machines that are reliable, cost effective and use electricity efficiently. And definitely if I can extend the outreach of my products by using modern marketing strategies and by having my own distribution trucks.”
