Independent exporter supporting coffee quality and local communities of smallholders across the Simbu Province of Papua New Guinea.

Kongo Coffee Ltd. is a locally owned coffee export company. Based primarily in Simbu province, it has been in operation for twenty years. DRWakefield and Kongo have been working together for almost as long. The company is involved in coffee buying, processing, roasting and exporting. Fundamental to Kongo Coffee’s business practices is to be involved in community and social activities related to improving the lives of all contributing smallholders and their families.

CEO Jerry Kapka says: “Kongo see ourselves as having a very special obligation towards our people.

As well as contributing to community projects, we provide direct employment to 85 people during the off season with the number increasing to around 200 during the peak coffee season months. We also support our coffee producers directly in many ways – assisting with purchases of coffee depuplers, building materials, motor vehicle loans and agricultural education”.

In 2023, DRWakefield reached out to Kongo coffee to ask how our coffee purchases could help contribute to the positive impact Kongo have amongst their communities. As with many coffee projects at origin, producers and export partners know best when it comes to generating impact.

JERRY KAPKA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Over the years Kongo have been supporting several schools across the Simbu province. This includes funding for building development, resources, and school fee scholarships. In 2012, an Elementary school was officially named ‘Jerry Kapka Elementary School’ in honour of the company’s support for schools and education in the community.

Kongo are currently looking to raise further investment to build a new bank of classrooms at the school. To contribute, DRWakefield have included a 10cts/lb premium into the price of the Kongo Coffee B Grade purchased from the 2023 crop. Across all the DRW purchases this year, this premium will contribute $9,000.

OTHER PROJECTS

Jerry also shared the following projects that Kongo Coffee Ltd. are working on in Simbu Province.

Sport | Kongo Coffee Ltd is the sole & major sponsor of the Simbu Warriors Rugby team in the PNGNRL competition (Bemobile Cup). This project is important to support the youth community.

TV Broadcasting | Kongo provide television broadcasts to local villages. They also paid to install one complete system in a village in remote Gumine, south Simbu.

Self Sufficient Food Schemes | Kongo actively support activities involving food production and planting within their communities. Most commonly, these are crops including oranges, rice and potato trainings and productions.

Community Centre | Kongo built a community centre for their village and have been sponsoring an annual gathering of community leaders to discuss various matters of concern for several years. This community centre has become a very important place for community gatherings of all sorts.

Every year DRWakefield purchase A grade, B grade, Y grade and Elimbari A from Kongo Coffee. As reputation, premiums, education and processing improves, so to does quality. DRWakefield has a long history of working with coffee from PNG. Back in 1971, a year after DRW was founded, coffees from Kenya and PNG were the first two origins the company purchased. We are extremely excited to be working closely with Kongo to continue to grow the reputation of coffee from this incredible origin.