Overview & Significance
Tanzania’s coffee production for the 2025/26 marketing year is forecast at 1.45 million 60-kilogram bags, up from 1.35 million bags in 2024/25 , positioning the country as the 15th largest coffee producer globally and among Africa’s top five. Arabica coffee accounts for approximately 60-70% of Tanzania’s production, while Robusta comprises 30-39% , with over 320,000 smallholder farmers producing more than 90% of the country’s coffee . The industry directly employs an estimated 450,000 people and affects over 2.4 million citizens, making coffee Tanzania’s second-highest valued agricultural export after tobacco.
Tanzania’s specialty coffee reputation centers on its distinctive terroir and traditional cultivars. The country is blessed with a variety of excellent coffee terroirs and large plantings of traditional, subtly distinctive Bourbon varieties of Arabica . Tanzania peaberry has become a unique marketing advantage—while peaberries are produced everywhere coffee is grown, Tanzania is particularly associated with its peaberry grades , commanding premium prices in international markets. In Japan, Tanzanian coffee maintains the protected brand “Kilimanjaro coffee,” and Japan remains the highest importer of Tanzanian beans .
Despite excellent growing conditions and traditional varieties, Tanzania has remained in the second tier of African specialty origins, overshadowed by Ethiopia and Kenya. This is largely attributed to inconsistent government coffee policy and the lack of organizational structure that successful cooperatives in Ethiopia and Kenya developed . However, recent government initiatives, including the distribution of 25 million improved seedlings by 2025 and a $30 million partnership with international development organizations, signal renewed commitment to quality enhancement.
Key Growing Regions
Tanzania’s coffee production is geographically divided between the Northern Highlands and Southern Highlands, each producing distinctly different cup profiles. The three most distinctive coffees—Moshi, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro—are grown on the hills of Mount Kilimanjaro near Tanzania’s border with Kenya . Coffee thrives here at elevations between 1,250 and 1,400 meters above sea level, where the high elevation, cooler climate, abundant rainfall, and volcanic soils allow coffee to develop slowly, concentrating nutrients in the cherry and bean .
The Northern Highlands encompass Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tanga, and surrounding regions , where the Moshi Coffee Exchange conducts weekly auctions during a nine-month season . Arabica from these volcanic slopes displays bright fruity taste with distinct lemon notes, noticeable acidity, well-balanced flavor profile, smooth taste with velvety mouthfeel, and additional nuances of vanilla, sweet chocolate, and praline . The region’s volcanic soils from Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru contribute to the coffee’s depth and robust character.
The Southern Highlands have emerged as a major production area since the 1970s, now accounting for 75-85% of total coffee production in Tanzania . The Ruvuma and Songwe regions account for 44% of all coffee produced in the country , while the Southern Highlands comprise Songea, Ruvuma, Mbeya, and the Matengo Highlands . Southern Highlands coffee has distinct fruit flavors of black cherry and tangerine, with pronounced chocolate, molasses, and caramel undertones, famous silky body, and gentle acidity . The western Kagera region near Lake Victoria specializes in Robusta production, accounting for 30-40% of all coffee produced countrywide .
Cultivars & Processing
Tanzania’s coffee genetic diversity represents one of Africa’s most extensive collections, with 16 species of coffee trees, half of which are endemic, placing Tanzania second globally in coffee species diversity after Madagascar . Commercial production features Bourbon, Kent, SL28, SL34, N39, and Blue Mountain varieties , with Bourbon and Kent as the main varieties . Bourbon was introduced by French Missionaries and is common in the Kilimanjaro area, alongside Kent which was introduced from India and is notable for being the first varietal selected for rust resistance .
Processing in Tanzania follows traditional wet-processing methods for Arabica coffee. All Tanzanian coffee is wet processed (washed) , though some experiments are underway with washed Robusta and both natural and honey Arabica processing as producers try to diversify the cup profile . The best Tanzanias are processed by centralized wet mills using Kenya-style procedures, often with ferment and washing followed by a second soak and washing, with drying carried out on raised tables . Cherries are pulped and fermented at home to prevent spoilage before being taken by cooperatives as cherry, processed and transported in parchment for auction through the Tanzania Coffee Board .
The Tanzania Coffee Research Institute has released experimental varieties including SC 3, SC 11, SC 14, SC 9, and KP 423 to enhance production and disease resistance. By November 2023, the Tanzania Coffee Board had distributed 13 million improved seedlings to farmers, with plans to distribute 25 million total by the end of 2025 . Traditional intercropping with bananas and maize provides shade and maintains soil moisture , while farmers increasingly adopt organic fertilizers and limit pesticide use to maintain environmental sustainability.
Cup Profile & Flavor Identity
Tanzania coffee presents a distinctive East African profile that bridges the intensity of Kenya with the balance of Ethiopian highlands. Similar to Kenya coffee, Tanzania exhibits bright and vibrant, wine-like acidity, sometimes sharp, with deep, rich, and strong taste, typically medium to full body that is intense and creamy, featuring sweet berry-like, fruity flavors and sometimes notes of cedar . The cup is similar to the typical best Kenya profile, though usually less intense and arguably more balanced, deep and rich, sometimes delicately so, almost always sweetly tart, with honey, orangy citrus, roasted cacao nib, dark fruit (plum, black cherry), hints of flowers, and often backgrounded savory herb or pine .
Regional terroir expression varies significantly across Tanzania’s growing zones. Northern Tanzanian Arabica shows acidity reminiscent of wine, with deep and robust taste from rich volcanic soil, and body ranging from medium to heavy with very rich flavor . Northern coffee is characterized by richness in acidity and body, balanced taste with hint of sweetness, and pleasant aroma, while southern coffee stands out with pronounced fruity and floral taste, delicate acidity, and medium body . Tanzania peaberry coffee develops complex aromas with hints of citrus, pineapple, and sometimes coconut, pleasant acidity with wine tones, delicate taste, and floral bouquet that leaves a velvety sensation on the tongue .
The country’s Robusta from the western Kagera region offers distinctive characteristics uncommon in the global market. This coffee features pleasant citrus taste complemented by caramel aromas, suitable even for light roast, yielding a moderately bitter drink with lively and noticeable yet delicate acidity . Tanzania’s processing diversity allows for varied flavor expression: the predominant washed processing ferments and washes beans to remove mucilage, producing a cleaner flavor profile , while emerging natural and honey processes enhance fruit characteristics. Tanzania produces some of the most unique coffees in the world—very highly regarded, and unlike other premium coffees that would never be taken to dark roast, Tanzanian beans work extremely well into darker roasts .