In the misty foothills of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, where the air is thick with the scent of rain and earth, Kayitana John Bosco is quietly brewing more than just coffee — he is crafting a movement.
A seasoned tour guide by profession, Kayitana dreamed of offering visitors not just breathtaking sights, but also an unforgettable taste of Rwanda. With sheer determination and a heart full of ambition, he transformed a modest 400,000 Rwandan Francs loan into a thriving coffee brand now valued at over 20 million Frw.
Today, in the scenic town of Kinigi in Musanze District, his café, “The Champion Café,” stands as a testament to hard work and vision. There, tourists not only sip coffee but are taken on a journey — from bean to cup — experiencing firsthand the rich process behind Rwanda’s world-class coffee.
Kayitana’s beginnings were humble and difficult. Without enough capital to purchase coffee in bulk, he started by selling on credit, paying suppliers only after making sales. In 2019, a pivotal moment came when he acquired his first coffee processing machine for 3 million Frw. This investment gave his business the structure and momentum it needed to grow steadily.
From managing everything alone, Kayitana now employs 20 people, nurturing a small team into a bustling workforce. His pride lies in producing coffee that is entirely homegrown, processed, and brewed under his watchful eye. In 2021, determined to deepen his craft, he bought half a hectare of land and began growing his own coffee organically. Within just two years, he harvested 500 kilograms, using every bean to serve visitors at his café.
Because of his small production scale, Kayitana focuses on quality rather than quantity. Every cup served at The Champion Café tells a story of dedication, patience, and authenticity. For now, he refrains from selling his coffee elsewhere, using it exclusively to offer tourists an authentic farm-to-cup experience.
Kayitana’s ambitions stretch far beyond pleasing tourists. He dreams of sparking a love for coffee among local Rwandans too, a community where many still see coffee merely as a source of income rather than a source of pride. Changing that culture, he believes, will strengthen Rwanda’s identity as a premier coffee-producing nation.
In the next five years, he envisions supplying high-end hotels and lodges throughout Musanze with his coffee, expanding his farm to yield at least three tons annually, and establishing a coffee training school that will equip dozens of young Rwandans with professional roasting and processing skills. He also hopes to open another branch that would further support the tourism ecosystem while offering even more authentic coffee experiences.
However, the path forward is not without obstacles. One of his biggest challenges remains finding workers with the deep expertise needed for roasting and handling specialized equipment. Kayitana notes that roasting coffee is an art, one that demands precision and experience, qualities that are still rare in Rwanda’s growing coffee sector. Despite this, his organically grown coffee, nurtured without chemical fertilizers, is already winning admiration in the market.
Through all the hurdles, Kayitana remains a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship. His own journey is living proof that success doesn’t demand massive capital to begin with. What it truly requires is a clear vision, relentless effort, and a belief that even the smallest seed, when planted with care, can bloom into something extraordinary.
In every rich, aromatic cup he serves, Kayitana offers not just coffee, but a taste of Rwanda’s future — bold, vibrant, and full of promise.
