Tanzania Ngila Estate

Ngila Estate is a coffee farm and producer that has been cultivating coffee since the 1920s, though it was not until 1992 that it was purchased by the Meyer family and established in its current name.

Located on the edge of the cloud forest that surrounds the Ngorongoro crater in Northern Tanzania, Ngila lives in harmony with the protected wildlife living on its doorstep. The farm covers approximately 100 hectares and borders a 50-hectare forest corridor that allows local fauna, such as elephants, to access traditional migration paths and mineral-rich caves. The estate’s proximity to the Ngila River also supports seasonal reforestation efforts, which help mitigate erosion and promote biodiversity in the region.

Ngila is home to both native wildlife and seasonal animal migrations. While larger animals such as elephants and buffalo are fenced out to protect the coffee trees, smaller species like antelope, leopards, wild boars, and dik-diks roam freely on the property.

Ngila Estate supports its workers and the local community through fair wages, medical assistance, education funding, and skills training. Many of the estate’s 100 employees have worked there for over 30 years. During the harvest season, additional employment opportunities are provided to over 250 workers, contributing significantly to the local economy.

It is widely believed that coffee use in Tanzania dates back as early as the 16th Century when robusta beans were chewed and traded by the indigenous Haya tribe. Following German colonisation in the 1880s production began in earnest and coffee exports increased threefold between between 1905 and 1912. After the first world war, Tanzania fell under British colonial rule and more than 10 million coffee seedlings were planted, many of these 100 year old trees are still providing coffee today. It was also during this time that Africa’s oldest co-operative, the Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union (KNCU) was founded, which today is owned by more than 90 primary co-operative societies purchasing coffee from the farmers on Kilimanjaro.

Following independence in 1961 coffee exports fell, compounded by the dreaded coffee wilt disease that affected robusta crops in the west of the country in the mid 1990s. However coffee still remains, after tobacco, Tanzania’s second most valuable export with approximately 70% of coffee production in the country being arabica and 30% robusta. Recent years have seen increasing efforts being implemented to improve quality and production of Tanzanian coffee, with better farmer organisation, new varietals being planted, increased infrastructure and access to washing stations and many of the previously nationalised estates being rehabilitated after years of neglect.

Did you know:

• Two new species of coffee were found recently in Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains, Coffea bridsoniae and C. kihansiensis. This crescent-shaped mountain range that extends from Meru and Kilamanjaro in the north to Mbeya in the south is rich in endemic species. For example, 43 butterflies, 96 species of vertebrates, and 800 plants are found only here.
• Tanzania’s main Arabica coffee varieties include Arusha, Bourbon, Blue Mountain and Kent. The country is particularly known for producing peaberry coffees, a genetic mutation that sees one round coffee bean form inside each coffee cherry rather than the typical two seeds (beans) that develop with flat facing sides. Peaberries are often associated with higher acidity and more complexity.
• The role of coffee in Haya tribal culture was more for cultural functions than daily consumption. Amwani as it was called was included in formal greetings, tributes to royals and religious rituals. The Hayas carefully controlled its cultivation to increase its rarity and value.
  

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced through: Owmani Coffee Co.
Importer relationship length:  Since 2022