Free home delivery from €75 (BE)
Delivered within 2-3 working days
Respect for nature
|
Direct trade
|
Unmatched quality
|
Community support
Kazi Yetu
"Kazi Yetu is the first of its kind to introduce high quality, traceable tea blends that are fully sourced, blended, and packed in Tanzania. Our teas are harvested in the Usambara mountains, a warm, mountainous climate that unlocks unique dimensionality and taste."
Tanzania is a land of contrasts. Along the coast lie tropical islands filled with spice, while in the north mountains rise with tea fields stretching across their slopes. It is here that the story of Kazi Yetu begins, an enterprise created to give Tanzanian tea new meaning.
The name translates to “our work” in Swahili, and that is exactly what it represents: keeping the work at the source. In Tanzania, Kazi Yetu not only harvests tea but also processes, blends, and packs it locally.
A factory in Dar es Salaam
Since 2018, Kazi Yetu has made its home in Dar es Salaam. Leaves and spices from across the country arrive here, where they are processed into finished products ready for market. This is unusual in Tanzania, where most leaves are shipped abroad in bulk for further processing.
Kazi Yetu deliberately takes another path. By keeping production local, more value stays in the country, and new jobs are created that bring stability to the community.
Work and security for women
Most of the factory workers are women. In many regions they face little security, but here they receive steady jobs with fair conditions.
Employees earn above the minimum wage and receive healthcare, social security, paid leave, meal contributions, and a thirteenth salary. For many women, it is the first time they have access to work with genuine security. For their families, it means new opportunities and a more stable future.
The origins of flavour
The tea leaves of Kazi Yetu come from the Usambara Mountains, part of the Eastern Arc range. The cool, moist climate allows the bushes to grow slowly, producing leaves with depth and richness of flavour.
Spices from Zanzibar add another layer. Known worldwide as Spice Island, Zanzibar provides cinnamon, cloves, and more. Combined with mountain-grown tea, they create blends with a distinctly Tanzanian character.
Working with farmers
Beyond the city factory, Kazi Yetu invests in partnerships with farmers. In 2023 they supported the founding of the Sakare Specialty Tea Company in the Usambara region, the first farmer-owned tea factory in Tanzania. Organized as a cooperative, it allows growers to process their harvest locally into high-quality orthodox teas.
This brings better prices and more influence for farmers. For the first time, small producers can directly shape both the quality and the value of their crop.
Visisble impact
The results of this approach are clear. Women in Dar es Salaam now hold steady jobs with social protection. Farmers in the Usambara Mountains receive higher incomes and are less dependent on volatile bulk prices. Young people gain skills in quality control and export management, opening doors beyond farming.
These are not promises on paper but changes felt every day in the lives of people connected with Kazi Yetu.
Recognition for quality and sustainability
The model has not gone unnoticed internationally.
- In 2022, Kazi Yetu earned B Corp certification, recognizing companies that balance profit with responsibility for people and planet.
- In 2023, the Dar es Salaam factory received EU Organic certification, meeting European standards for organic processing.
- In 2025, their Flowery Pekoe won an Origin Award at the Global Tea Championship in the United States.
These milestones show how social impact and quality can go hand in hand.
Our selection from Kazi Yetu
Sakare GreenAt Tea Kulture we offer several teas from Kazi Yetu, including Sakare Green, Sakare Black and Lemongrass Moringa.
Sakare Green is a green tea from the Usambara mountains. The leaves are briefly heated in a pan to stop oxidation. The infusion is clear and light green with a soft and fresh taste typical of this region. Sakare Black follows the same artisanal process but undergoes full oxidation. The copper coloured infusion offers light malty notes and a natural sweetness. Lemongrass Moringa is an herbal infusion that brings together lemongrass from the Usambara region and moringa leaves grown in the eastern part of Tanzania.
Tanzania on the map
The reach of Kazi Yetu now extends far beyond Tanzania. From Dar es Salaam, their teas travel to Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Instead of vanishing into anonymous blends, Tanzanian tea is gaining recognition worldwide as a product of distinctive quality and origin.
Why Tea Kulture partners with Kazi Yetu
At Tea Kulture we seek partners who share our values. Kazi Yetu does so in a clear and authentic way. They keep processing in Tanzania, creating jobs and security. They give women a central place in their factory. They collaborate with farmers so they earn more and gain a stronger voice. And they show that quality and social impact can grow side by side.
The story of Kazi Yetu reflects our conviction that tea is never only about taste. It is about people, origin, and the choices we make together.
