TOGO – KingCafé, a Togolese company specializing in the industrial processing of coffee and cocoa, has signed two technical partnership agreements with Italian companies Morola and Veronesi, operating in the sector.

According to people close to the company, KingCafé will benefit from patent sharing from the first Italian structure, while the second will support the roaster in roasting and improving the quality of its coffee.

Through these partnerships, Paul Kpelly, the founder, said the company will specify its promoter as it aims to provide “a coffee that meets international standards”.

Additionally, the specialist will now produce the products in large quantities and, at a lower cost, the new-generation coffee makers in Africa.

“Thanks to these two signatures, we will proceed to the assembly of the parts locally, and to the entire manufacture of these coffee makers in Togo,” said Paul Kpelly.

In June 2022, after marking four years of activity in Togo, KingCafé announced the opening of its capital, through a fundraising project of up to 900 million FCFA (approx. US$1.5 million). Founded in 2018, the company claims to have achieved a turnover of 96 million FCFA at the end of 2021.

Kpelly noted the funding will facilitate the company’s growth vision, which is to reach a level of expansion in the UEMOA zone, in Central Africa, in France, and in the USA in particular. The expansion plans would also lead to the sale of 30% of KingCafé’s shares.

Moreover, KingCafé had outlined plans to acquire a new roaster and a mill with a production capacity of 2 tons per hour to scale up its annual production from 2.5 T to 150 or even 300 or 1000 T.

Kpelly explained that the idea is to integrate the markets not yet explored and to strengthen KingCafé’s presence in the markets already conquered in order, in fine, to bring Togolese Arabica to the top.

The mission of the company follows the 9th ordinary general assembly of the African and Malagasy Robusta Coffee Agency (ACRAM), which sought to promote the sharing of practices and solutions that can enable producing countries to best adapt to the impacts of the coronavirus health crisis. The gathering was held in Togo in April last year.

Togo mainly grows robusta–undertaken by smallholder farmers, who also produce cocoa. Many Togolese producers grow an old robusta variety which is locally referred to as “Niaouli”.

Originally from Africa, the Robusta variety makes up 35% of the world’s coffee production. It contains more caffeine than Arabica – between 1.7% and 4%, against 0.8% and 1.4%. In Togo, about 7,000 tons of coffee and 6,000 tons of cocoa are produced yearly.

For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.