A Good African Story: How a Small Company Built a Global Coffee Brand - Hardcover

Rugasira, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847922066 ISBN 13: 9781847922069

Publisher: Random House UK, 2013

Synopsis

The inspirational story of how an African-owned coffee company became a profitable global brand offers an argument for trade as opposed to aid, and a lesson in how Africa can dictate the terms of its future Since it was founded in 2003, Good African Coffee has helped thousands of farmers earn a decent living, send their children to school, and escape a spiral of debt and dependence. Africa has received more than $1 trillion in aid over the last 50 years and yet despite these huge inflows, the continent remains mired in poverty, disease, and systemic corruption. Here, Andrew Rugasira argues that trade has achieved what years of aid failed to deliver, and has provided a tantalizing glimpse of what Africa could be. As he recounts the very personal story of his company and the challenges that he has faced and overcome as an African entrepreneur—from the impossibility of finding capital to discrimination at every step to close calls with lions in the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains—Rugasira discusses the barriers that currently prevent fair and equal trade between Africa and the rest of the world. He sets out the arguments for building a sustainable trade framework and reducing dependency on handouts, and he builds up a manifesto for a revolution in the way that Africa is perceived.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrew Rugasira grew up in Uganda and went to the University of London for his undergraduate degree in Law and Economics. He later completed a masters degree in African Studies at the University of Oxford. In 2003 he founded Good African Coffee, the first African-owned coffee brand to be stocked by US retailers. He regularly speaks at leadership and business conferences, and is passionate about initiatives that lead to community transformation. In 2007 he was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has won several awards, including the Legatum Pioneers of Prosperity award, and in 2010 was nominated for a Financial Times/ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business award.

Review:

"The analysis is sharp, concise and incisive."  —Times

"Rugasira and the generation of African businessmen he represents may yet provide the continent with the leadership it needs."  —Irish Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House UK
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1847922066
• ISBN 13: 9781847922069
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288