Pure Africa Coffee opens a direct route for Rwanda Coffee
Coffee does not simply appear on a shelf in the Netherlands. It moves through contracts, ports, paperwork and relationships. Pure Africa Coffee wants more buyers to see that route clearly, especially when the coffee comes from Rwanda.
In an interview, Justus Bijlsma, co-founder of Pure Africa Coffee, explained how the Dutch company imports green coffee beans from Rwanda, roasts them in the Netherlands and sells them to businesses and consumers. Bijlsma said the search for suppliers began in 2015. In 2017, Pure Africa imported its first coffee from Rwanda, De Waaghals.
For Bijlsma, Rwanda fit the company’s vision for a simple reason. It is a coffee origin with strong potential and high quality, yet it is still less known internationally than countries such as Ethiopia. That gap matters. Pure Africa’s model focuses on cooperatives that are organised and produce good coffee, but do not always have direct access to the world market. The company wants to help them take that first step.
Learning on the ground
That ambition became real when the team first visited coffee cooperatives in Rwanda. Bijlsma said the visit changed how the company saw the coffee trade. It showed how farmers often carry the downside when markets shift. That experience pushed Pure Africa to build a different model.
Recent travel to Rwanda had several goals. Pure Africa visited suppliers to review the past season and discuss the next one. The team also looked at new innovations and challenges, and met coffee farmers who had received Pure Africa microloans. On that trip, Bijlsma spoke with farmers in eastern Rwanda about drought. Their partner, Juru Coffee, is installing an irrigation system on a model farm to test whether it can protect production in dry conditions. If that works, the Pure Africa Foundation may help finance irrigation through affordable loans. The Foundation’s 6% interest rate is far lower than the average annual rate of 24%, which could make irrigation investment much more accessible for farmers.
From east to west
The company visited Juru in the east, Nova in the north and Sholi in the west. These visits matter because some things cannot be understood from a desk in the Netherlands. Bijlsma said that standing on a plantation, talking with a farmer and seeing how people live gives a very different understanding of coffee production. One conversation stayed with him in particular. At Nova, he met the board of the cooperative and learned that Fairtrade certification had helped members work more closely together. The cooperative had even bought land.
Quality and logistics
From farm to container, Pure Africa keeps a close eye on quality. Bijlsma said the company selects lots when contracts are signed, tests samples again before shipment and tests them again on arrival. The biggest risks to a harvest, he added, are drought and pre-financing.
The logistics chain is long and demands planning. Coffee is loaded at NAEB, shipped to Dar es Salaam, sent onward to Rotterdam, cleared through customs and then unloaded at Pure Africa’s warehouse in Middelburg. Key documents include a phytosanitary certificate and a certificate of origin. According to Bijlsma, the full cycle from contract to delivery often takes about a year.
Advice for new importers
For companies that want to start importing coffee from Rwanda, Bijlsma’s advice is practical. Find a strong local partner. Build that relationship. Organise logistics well. Pure Africa also relies on a colleague in Rwanda who connects the cooperatives and the Dutch company, visits farmers when problems arise and helps spot issues early.
Looking ahead
The company now wants to grow in volume over the next 12 to 24 months. It also wants to improve how traceability is shown to customers. That matters, because Rwanda’s coffee story is not only about what is in the cup. It is also about who gets access to the market and on what terms.
On the photo from left to right: founders Ando Tuininga and Justus Bijlsma.
Company information
Pure Africa Coffee BV
Maliebaan 92, 3581 CX Utrecht
The Netherlands
