African Coffee Connect: connect with extraordinary African coffee farmers.
Saveur du Kivu
In 2016, Richard Hide co-founded the pioneering “Saveur du Kivu”, coffee quality competition. The team brought roasters and importers from around the world to Bukavu to meet with cooperatives and exporters from across Eastern DRCongo, with an expert international cupping panel evaluating coffees over three days and then declaring the winning lots.
The first year, the “Saveur du Kivu” was preceded by the “Run Across Congo”, an audacious initiative of US non-profit organisation, On The Ground Global, which saw 7 US women runners cover 7 marathons over 7 days through the coffee lands of South Kivu - to prove a point that Eastern DRCongo was open for business.
The “Saveur du Kivu” ran for four editions until 2019 after which it stopped due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
African Coffee Connect is now hoping to work with partners to see it return in 2024!
From left, Ismael Bushashire, head of cupping of Muungano, Anette Moldvaer, co-founder of the British roaster: Square Mile, Fikiri, President of Muungano, during the 2016 Saveur du Kivu
To the left, with an apron: Beth Ann Coffee Quality Manager at coffee importer and roaster Equal Exchange, who was the head judge for the 2016 Saveur du Kivu edition
To the right, Emmanuel Harelimana, regional manager of Twin and Twin trading