By Felix Oketcho
Nonda Coffee Shop and Roastery, Uganda’s first single-origin coffee franchise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The flagship outlet, located in the heart of Riyadh, marks a historic milestone in Uganda’s coffee journey, bringing the nation’s finest beans to one of the world’s fastest-growing hospitality and investment hubs.
The new coffee house will serve premium Ugandan single-origin coffee to a cosmopolitan audience of residents, business travelers, and millions of international visitors who frequent Saudi Arabia for commerce, pilgrimage, and tourism.
The Riyadh launch is the first in a series of outlets planned across the Kingdom, part of Uganda’s strategy to strengthen its export footprint and elevate the country’s coffee brand on the global stage.
Speaking at the launch, Vice President Alupo said the establishment of Nonda Coffee in Saudi Arabia represents a major opportunity for Uganda to open new markets, create employment, and encourage smallholder farmers to transition into commercial production.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to Nonda Commodities and Ingazi Group for this initiative. In Uganda, we have four sectors where there are jobs and wealth: commercial agriculture, industry/manufacturing, services, and ICT,” Alupo said. “Our being in this boardroom is a clear message that the government and people of Saudi Arabia have enabled us to exploit two of these key sectors at once — commercial agriculture and manufacturing — because the coffee we are celebrating here is both grown by farmers and processed into a finished product.”
The Vice President highlighted the significance of coffee commercialization in Uganda’s development agenda, noting that 33% of Ugandan households remain outside the money economy.
“Our being here is very fundamental because we are going to reduce the number of those 33% households outside the money economy as many will join commercial agriculture. We shall also have access to other destinations including China,” she added.
The launch forms part of the “Value at Source Project” — an initiative by Nonda Coffee in partnership with Ingazi Group International, a Saudi-based investment firm. The project seeks to strengthen Uganda’s coffee value chain by expanding processing, branding, and export capacity at origin, ensuring that more value remains within producing communities.
A key component of the partnership is the upcoming Luwero Coffee Park, a flagship agro-industrial complex that will process up to 35,000 metric tons of coffee annually, making it one of the largest coffee value-addition centers in Africa.
“Uganda will soon host a ground-breaking ceremony for the Luwero Coffee Park — a flagship facility that will anchor Africa’s largest coffee processing and value addition plant,” Alupo said. “The Value at Source project, championed by Nonda Commodities and Ingazi Group, is a shining example of Uganda–Saudi Arabia cooperation. As we celebrate these milestones, may every cup of Nonda Coffee remind us of our friendship, opportunity, and shared future between our two countries.”
Mr. Tonny Miiro Kibuuka, CEO of Nonda Commodities Ltd, said the project has the potential to employ thousands of Ugandans while unlocking new global opportunities.
“As the first Ugandan company to secure both an Investment License and a Commercial Registration License from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nonda Coffee is collaborating with like-minded partners to build a future where Uganda’s coffee is globally celebrated while driving prosperity at home,” Kibuuka said.
“Through the Value at Source Project, we are spearheading coffee value development, addition, and consolidation. Our mission goes beyond producing premium Ugandan coffee; we are creating dignified livelihoods, industrial linkages, and inclusive economic participation that empower communities and strengthen Uganda’s position in the global coffee industry.”
Uganda’s coffee sector continues to show strong performance, with national production rising from 7.8 million 60-kg bags in FY 2022/23 to 8.2 million bags in FY 2023/24. Export earnings also surged from USD 845 million to USD 1.144 billion, reinforcing Uganda’s status as one of the world’s most consistent and competitive coffee producers.
As Uganda pushes for greater value addition at source, the success of Nonda Coffee in Riyadh symbolizes the country’s broader ambition to expand global market access, promote industrial transformation, and deepen South–South partnerships built on innovation, dignity, and shared prosperity.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, Uganda’s coffee exports reached a record 7.77 million 60kg bags, worth $2.22 billion, which is a significant increase from the previous year. This growth was driven by a good harvest and higher global coffee prices. Europe remained the main export market, receiving 69% of the total, with Italy and Germany as the top destinations.