Having a good cup of coffee is a must, especially if you are a coffee lover and love the scent of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Ghana is very well known for its cocoa and chocolate brands, but Ghanaian coffee is rapidly gaining recognition as they enter the global coffee market.

A brief history about the Ghanain coffee sector

The ghanaian coffee industry has much more potential than perceived. We have also been educated upon the fact that most of the coffee grown in Ghana is Robusta. Despite it being dismissed by specialty coffee roasters and consumers, due to its high caffeine content which contributes to a flavor often described as bitter or rubbery, it actually provides Ghana with a competitive advantage because it’s easier and less expensive to grow in warm climates.

While Ghana does not have a coffee drinking culture, the growth of coffee houses in Accra is enticing adventurous locals to explore new tastes. In addition to the future plans the government has for the coffee industry in Ghana, we have witnessed an increase in the variety of new ghanaian coffee brands that you should definitely try whilst in Ghana.

Best ghanaian coffee brands

Kawa Moka

Kawa Moka is probably one of the most well known ghanaian coffee brands. They have managed to gain a good reputation and position themselves very well within the market, part of it may be because of the fact that it’s a business that is 100% women owned.

Behind this project is Emi-Beth Quantson, former chartered accountant who quit her job to venture into this project which started as her final year entrepreneurship project in the Ashesi University.

She started very small, selling just one cup of coffee a day and total sales of 100 cedis. Thanks to the Impact Hub, a ghanaian startup and coworking space in Osu, to whom she presented the project and they accepted for her to start selling there, up to today’s date Kawa Moka has been growing at a high speed. The business has moved from a capitalist venture to a social enterprise providing employment to socio-economically disadvantaged women.

Over twenty women small farm owners in Leklebi in the Afadjato South District of the Volta Region of Ghana. Since the 1930’s, the people of Leklebi have grown a Arabusta Hybrid Variety of Coffee (Coffea Canephora) in altitudes of above 2000 feet.

They have diversified their products and are now selling in over 10 different shops and cafes around Accra. You can find all their products here.

They have also opened their own cafe called Kawa Moka Cafe at Nubile Art Gallery in East Legon. Kawa Moka promises that their coffee will taste good and do good!

Gold Coast Roasters

Gold Coast Roasters was started in 2017 by Cillian, who was born in Ireland but is now a Ghanaian citizen, and three other ghanaian partners. They believed they could change the way coffee was produced, consumed and exported in Ghana through holistic production. They saw it was ridiculous to be importing coffee so why not start exporting it?

It was also a good way to preserve land due to the problem Ghana faces with encroachment. But if something is growing on land people are less inclined to encroach because they can be sued.

Gold Coast Roasters currently plant their coffee seeds in two different locations; Aburi and the Volta Region. Their essence is deeply grained in their attention to process as an integral part of the make of their coffee. Visit one of their two locations and get to learn about the farm to cup process (we suggest you contact them directly if you are interested in a farm visit).

You can find their coffee sold in a variety of locations across Accra. Contact them directly for specific details or buy from their online shop.

Cafe Magnifico

Cafe Magnifico may not be as well known as Kawa Moka or Gold Coast Roasters, but is definitely a try!

Ms. Ivy Were is the founder of Cafe Magnifico. Coming from fashion, a completely different industry, her love for coffee led her to research into the varieties of coffee grown in Africa, particularly Ghana.

The journey started in 2015 with a trip to Ho West Municipality in the Volta Region, in search of coffee beans. Amidst the difficulties farmers face in selling their coffee beans, the company started roasting coffee in 2017. Ivy and her team have since been growing and buying coffee beans from farms in the Volta Region of Ghana, focusing on the Robusta coffee.

Something that differentiates them is that they use a hand-made approach in all stages of coffee production, giving their products a quality advantage.

Bean Masters Coffee

Bean Masters Coffee pride themselves in providing the best freshly roasted Ghanaian coffee, that is ethically sourced from women coffee farmers in Ghana. To ensure quality and consistent supply, they use vertical integration to manage their system.
For more information visit their Instagram page or whatsapp them directly on: 0202962988

Ellis Noble Coffee

Ellis is behind Ellis Noble Coffee. Ellis is a Ghanaian man who buys coffee beans directly from farmers and then roasts it himself in his small shop located in Kokrobite. He knows all about the business and if you want a coffee tour, it can also be arranged for a reasonable fee. Do not expect to find a website or well developed social media sites, the best way is to contact him on his number directly: 054 552 7901.