Izuba Tea Commences Commercial Production at Karongi Facility, Bringing Premium Rwandan Highland Teas to Global Markets

Unrivaled Highland Terroir & Industry-Recognized Quality

Widely regarded as one of Africa’s premier highland tea origins, Rwanda is globally acknowledged for its premium tea quality. Tea plantations across the country are situated at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 meters, where fertile volcanic soil, consistent year-round rainfall and marked diurnal temperature fluctuations slow tea growth and enable full accumulation of flavor compounds. This unique terroir delivers Rwandan tea’s signature profile: rich aromatic complexity, full-bodied depth and bright, clean liquor.

According to data from Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Rwandan tea has consistently recorded the highest average prices at the Mombasa Tea Auction — the world’s largest trading platform for black tea — for multiple consecutive years. In 2025, its average transaction price was 15–20% higher than that of other major producing regions, firmly placing it in the top tier of global tea quality benchmarks.

Izuba Tea’s core supply base is located in Karongi, western Rwanda, adjacent to the Nyungwe National Forest. With plantations reaching altitudes of over 2,200 meters, it ranks among the highest-elevation tea growing areas in Africa. The cool high-altitude climate extends the tea growth cycle, which, combined with mineral-dense volcanic humus soil, imparts distinct floral notes and citrus undertones to the finished leaf. The resulting infusion is crisp and clear, carrying the pure, bright character of high mountain tea — a highly sought-after raw material for premium global blends and specialty tea lines.

Full Portfolio of Premium Tea Categories

Leveraging its upstream raw material advantages and modern processing lines, Izuba Tea offers a complete product matrix across five core categories, tailored to diverse market requirements and consumption scenarios worldwide:

• Orthodox Black Tea: Processed with traditional rolling techniques to preserve full leaf integrity. It yields a bright red liquor with rich malty aroma and floral-fruity sweetness, ideal for premium loose-leaf ranges and specialty beverage applications.
• CTC Black Tea: Featuring uniform, compact granules that deliver fast infusion and consistent liquor strength. As a reliable core base for tea bags and ready-to-drink milk tea formulations, it offers a robust, full-bodied flavor profile.
• Green Tea: Produced with minimal fermentation to maximize retention of the tea’s natural active compounds. It presents a clear green liquor with a fresh, clean finish and delicate grassy and beany notes.
• White Tea: Crafted from select early-spring plump single buds, processed via natural withering and low-temperature drying. Densely covered in fine silvery tips, it produces a pale golden, smooth liquor with a delicate sweet taste and high theanine content.
• Herbal Tea: Blended with native Rwandan botanicals including mint, lemongrass, ginger, rooibos and roselle. These caffeine-free wellness blends balance layered flavor profiles with functional benefits.

For quality assurance, Izuba Tea has implemented a standardized end-to-end production system covering every stage: fresh leaf plucking and grading, withering, fermentation, drying, refining and final packaging. The brand is currently progressing toward international third-party quality certifications, with the goal of enabling full traceability from garden to cup.

Sustainable Local Partnerships & Global Expansion Strategy

As an international tea brand rooted in Rwanda, Izuba Tea is committed to localized, inclusive development. It has established long-term, transparent partnerships with local farmer cooperatives, providing standardized agronomic training and stable procurement terms to support farmer livelihoods, while creating local employment opportunities and contributing to rural economic development across the Karongi region. Its management team combines proven Chinese tea processing expertise with deep local cultivation knowledge, creating a strong synergy between Eastern tea-making craftsmanship and premium East African raw materials.

On the global front, Izuba Tea operates its Rwandan production facility as a regional hub, with products already reaching markets across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The brand provides flexible cooperation solutions for global tea importers, brand owners and catering chains, including bulk raw material supply, custom processing and private label co-packing.

Looking ahead, Izuba Tea will continue to deepen its focus on high-end specialty tea segments. Building on the established quality reputation of Rwandan highland tea, it aims to build a globally recognized origin brand that combines authentic terroir identity with international quality standards, bringing premium tea from the Land of a Thousand Hills to consumers worldwide.