Zigoti-Coffee-Works-Limited-Board-Chairman-Charles-Roscoe-NsubugaChecked-Shirt-with-Mahvish-Malik-Associate-Director-of-Trade-Relations-at-Equity-Group-Holdings-along-with-other-members
Equity Bank Uganda is exploring expanded commercial credit support for Zigoti Coffee Works Limited as the family-owned company seeks to increase coffee production, value addition and access to new markets.
These discussions followed an Equity Bank visit to Zigoti’s farm and processing facilities, on Tuesday 15 September 2026 as a follow up to the Trade and Investment Roadshow 2026 that kicked on Monday 15 September 2026 at Marriot Hotel in Kampala.
The two sides explored financing for equipment, working capital and smallholder farmers, alongside financial literacy and other value-chain support.
Established in 1984, Zigoti Coffee Works has grown into an integrated coffee business involved in sourcing, processing, grading, warehousing and exporting.
The company was incorporated between 1991 and 1992 and became Uganda’s first coffee export company to receive an export license following the liberalization of the coffee sector.
It has since developed markets across Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, exporting both Robusta and Arabica.
Charles Roscoe Nsubuga, Chairman of Zigoti Coffee Works Limited, said the business was now focused on moving beyond bulk commercial trading towards quality and specialty coffee.
“If you cut our blood, the DNA is coffee. This is a third-generation coffee business. Our grandparents started with coffee, our parents continued, and now we are taking it to another level.”
Zigoti has won the Best Pearl Robusta Award four consecutive times, from 2021 to 2024, with its coffee recording cupping scores above 85.
The company is also expanding wet processing and experimenting with fermentation and different coffee profiles to attract higher premiums from international buyers.
Nsubuga said access to finance would be important in supporting the company’s expansion and strengthening its relationship with smallholder farmers.
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“We are looking beyond one-off asset financing. We want to see how the wider value chain can be financed, including farmers who need inputs to produce quality coffee,” he said.
Under the proposed approach, farmers could access financing of about Shs1m to Shs2m for inputs, with repayment linked to proceeds from coffee sales.
The company works with farmer groups, women and youth, providing extension services, financial literacy and training in good agricultural practices.
Thomas Muto Lo’Buda, Equity Bank’s delegate from South Sudan, said the engagement could also open opportunities for Ugandan coffee in regional markets.
“There is an opportunity to connect this business with markets and partners in South Sudan. We can look at the product, the financing required and how to build a sustainable partnership.”
Zigoti has buyers and markets in South Sudan, although much of the coffee trade currently moves by road through informal channels.
The company said there was potential to develop formal distribution and dealership arrangements, including roasting, packaging and private-label coffee.
Zigoti also operates a 100-acre model farm where farmers receive training, while its processing facilities support quality control and traceability.
The company has been working to meet growing international traceability requirements and has systems in place to provide the required information for European buyers.
Nsubuga said access to financing for coffee stocks and hedging remained a challenge for local exporters, particularly when competing with multinational traders.
“We need financial institutions to understand the coffee business and support local exporters. If we can stabilise the business, we can create better returns for farmers and contribute more to the economy,” he said.
Zigoti is also investing in waste-recycling initiatives, including a women-led briquette project and a planned black soldier fly project that will convert coffee waste into animal feed and organic fertilizer.
The company expects to increase volumes from its wet-processing operations as new drying equipment is installed.
For Equity Bank, the engagement forms part of efforts to support businesses through commercial credit while extending financing and financial literacy across agricultural value chains.
Nsubuga said bringing financial institutions to the farm was important in helping them understand the realities of agricultural production.
“When financial institutions come to the farm, they see the farmers, the gardens and the processing. It gives them a better understanding of the business and the challenges we face,” he said
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