RWANDA Nyamasheke Hills – Espresso

In 1999, Louis Ndereyimana, a coffee farmer in Rwanda, expanded his focus from growing coffee to purchasing parchment from other farmers and supplying it to local companies. Originally starting with 500 coffee trees, his success in farming improved his family’s education, economic standing, and social welfare. As his family grew, he decided to invest further in the coffee industry alongside his children.

In 2017, Louis obtained a license to build his first coffee washing station, Nyamasheke Hills Coffee, in the Kanjongo Sector of Nyamasheke District in Rwanda’s Western Province. By 2018, he had established a second coffee washing station, Birambo CWS, in Gashali Sector, Karongi District, also in the Western Province. Together, these stations process around four containers (19,200 kg each) of specialty coffee annually.

Currently, the stations handle Red Bourbon coffee but plan to add Yellow Bourbon varieties. Seedling preparation is already underway, with the new coffee expected to be available within four years. The coffee farms associated with these stations are situated at altitudes between 1,750 and 2,200 meters above sea level (MASL), located within the fertile Kivu Lake catchment basin and the high mountains near Nyungwe National Park. The region’s volcanic soil and high altitude contribute to the production of high-quality coffee recognized on a global scale.