Viphya Highlands Coffee, a Malawian product produced in Nkhata Bay district, has penetrated the Icelandic market in Europe where it is selling like a hot cake.
The coffee, produced in Usingini, Nkhata Bay by Viphya Highlands Coffee company, has won the hearts of some citizens in Iceland, prompting the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to award a grant that will among others enable the company scale up production of the product.
Founder and managing director of Viphya Highlands Coffee, Lizzie Msowoya Kumtambila has confirmed the development through a statement to ProjectM.
“We are proud to announce that, through our investment partner, Warm Heart ehf, Viphya Highlands Coffee has been awarded a grant from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund of the Icelandic ministry of foreign affairs,” Kumtambila said in a statement.
Kumtambila said, among others, the grant will help the company expand coffee production, empower smallholder farmers, promote sustainability and create local jobs.
“All this will be happening while the rest of the world enjoys Malawi’s rich coffee heritage,” said Kumtambila.
The entreprenuer has since promised to use the grant prudently.
“A huge thank you to Warm Heart for their dedication to Malawian coffee and the Icelandic government for believing in our vision,” she added.
Trade and industry ministry spokesperson Patrick Botha said the government will ensure that the company is well supported.
“Our door is always open for them if they need any technical support because we want our products to cement their positions on the global market,” said Botha.
