KENYA – One Flora Group has recently launched a new company called Zami Africa to streamline the export of summer flowers and roses directly from Nairobi to customers around the globe.

With expertise in supplier agreements, documentation, technical support, and consolidation, Zami Africa will provide high-quality services to Zami B.V.

The collaboration between the two companies ensures a streamlined flower export process directly from Nairobi. In this way, flowers can be exported in a more controlled and consolidated manner.

This achieves efficiency, customer satisfaction, and creates a new sales market.

Sven Aertssen, Managing Director Flowers, said, “Our companies connect supply and demand by optimally tailoring our growers’ range to the wishes of our customers.

“We serve the entire market efficiently and directly from the source as a group. The establishment of Zami Africa is completely in line with this. We are very pleased with this addition to our group of companies.”

General Manager Robi Bonanno will oversee the operations of the new Zami Africa. Robi brings a wealth of experience and industry knowledge and will start on October 16. One Flora Group welcomes him to the team and looks forward to a fruitful collaboration.

This comes at a time when Kenya’s flower exports are expected to reach approximately 247,500 tons in 2023, a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year, as stated in a report by an industry association.

“Our flower sector is experiencing higher demand this year as the economies of our key export markets continue to recover,” said Clement Tulezi, CEO of the Kenya Flower Council.

According to the Kenya Flower Council, an association of independent growers and exporters of cut flowers, Kenya earned approximately KES 106 billion (USD 763 million) in 2022 from flower exports. This makes fresh produce one of the top foreign exchange sources for the country, along with tea, diaspora remittances, and tourism.

At the end of 2022, Tulezi reported that the total area of land dedicated to flower cultivation was approximately 4,300 hectares (43 square kilometers).

“We expect flower farmers to add another 100 hectares this year due to the increasing demand,” he added.

Kenya’s main export markets include the European Union, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, and the United States.

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