Uganda’s coffee industry signs major deal with China’s Cotti Coffee

Uganda’s coffee industry has signed a landmark agreement with the fastest growing retail brand in the world’s fastest growing coffee market to scale out coffee from the East African nation to coffee drinkers across China.

The signing between Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and Cotti Coffee marks the start of a new chapter for Uganda’s coffee industry, solidifying its position as one whose coffee beans are some of the most sought-after globally.

With Cotti Coffee’s massive retail reach and Uganda’s coffee diversity, this collaboration will anchor Uganda as the definitive African coffee brand in Asia, while giving Chinese consumers a fresh, ethical, and distinctly Ugandan coffee experience.

Uganda’s coffee exports to China have already surged by 190 per cent this year, reflecting how Chinese consumers – from café chains to boutique roasters – are already going crazy for Uganda coffee, with Chinese social media awash with photos of latte art and cold brew made with Ugandan beans.

The new agreement, which was signed earlier this month at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, marks the latest milestone in a year of growth for Uganda coffee which is now the number one exporter of coffee in Africa.

“This partnership is about redefining how the world experiences Uganda coffee,” said a senior MAAIF representative during the signing ceremony. “It ensures our farmers are not only producing coffee, but connecting directly with a global retail network that values their work and their story.”

Cotti Coffee’s executives hailed Uganda as a “partner of choice for quality and sustainability”, citing the country’s unique agro-ecological conditions, consistent bean quality, and growing reputation for ethical sourcing.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed with Cotti Supply Chain (Anhu) Ltd establishes a long-term framework for collaboration across the entire coffee value chain. It will link Ugandan farmers and processors directly with China’s fastest-growing retail coffee brand, which already operates more than 7,500 coffee shops in 28 countries, to secure consistent demand, technical cooperation and value-addition opportunities.

The Chinese coffee market is experiencing an unprecedented boom, with urban youth driving consumption growth and coffee shops opening at record pace. Cotti Coffee’s own expansion has become a symbol of this trend. For Uganda, the new MoU represents an entry into a market expected to exceed US$ 45 billion by 2030.

During CIIE 2025, Uganda’s coffee pavilion has been one of the most visited in the agriculture section, drawing buyers, roasters, and café owners from across Asia. Delegates from Uganda, including officials from MAAIF and private exporters, hosted cupping sessions, live-stream tastings and business-to-business meetings with major distributors.

Uganda’s ascent as Africa’s top coffee exporter has been fuelled by technological advances, and private-sector innovation. The government has prioritised provision of good qulaity seedlings, farmer training, irrigation, value addition, rehabilitiaion of old trees and Coffee research, while the country’s international marketing campaigns have amplified visibility across Europe, the Middle East and now Asia.

At the same time, a younger generation of coffee entrepreneurs and exporters is embracing storytelling, branding and digital traceability, creating a new identity for ‘Uganda Coffee’ as a high-value, sustainable product with global appeal.

For China’s coffee lovers, that means more access to distinctive beans grown in Uganda’s fertile highlands – from Bugisu’s Arabica grown on the slopes of Mt. Elgon to Robusta plantations in the Lake Victoria basin – all certified and quality-assured for flavour, consistency and sustainability.