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Hewasoneof thepioneer employeeswhen it opened shop in
2004, and this is alsowhere he first tasted brewed coffee. At
CaféPaphebeganasabarista (someone trained in themaking
and servingof coffeedrinks). Hewasable to learnmoreabout
coffee, customer relationship and product management. *I
only got my coffee experience through on-job trainings and
heavily investing in research for the best product,* he adds.
Coffee is regarded as an ordinary cash crop, so few people
picked interest in it. He thought that people’smindset had to
change, sowhenhe rose through the rankshebeganshowing
customers that frequented the café that it was beyond just
beans. Katabazi was determined to demonstration that
there was a lot of value that could be added to it. Now, as
a businessman, he speaks passionately about coffee. His
breakthrough came when he was awarded a contract to
supply UNmission in Southern Sudan, based in Juba, which
earned him $10,000 (about sh25m). He used the proceeds
to acquire a coffee-roasting machine, which he first put up
in Bweyogerere, a Kampala suburb. He has since shifted to
Gayaza another suburb but also runs alternative coffee shop
inNakasero.
Katabazisaysunlikebeforewhencoffeewasassociatedwiththe
foreigners and elites, today the trend has changed evidenced
from several mushrooming shops which are frequented by all
and sundry. “In the past, the investment environment was not
favourable. Today, there are many players that have come in
to support the sector and I believewe are headed for greater
heights,” he added. Katabazi said they export about 5 tonnes
of the roasted coffee to South Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia
annually. “Our plan is to have a good presence on all the
markets in the region before exploring other opportunities on
theEuropeanmarkets,” he concluded.
With the support from Government and the publicity the
mediahasgivencoffee in thepast year,many landownersare
beginning to think coffee.While the number of establishments
may not be readily available today, manymiddle class youths
who own land are thinking about not only coffee production
but also engaging in other segments along the coffee value
chain. Our role is to give them information and support and
hopefullywe shall seemorecoffee related ventures in thenear
future.
