Kenyan fruit farmers to benefit from African originals Sh129 million capital injection

African Originals founder and CEO Alexandra Chappatte/FILE

Kenyan fruit farmers are poised for major gains after local craft beverage manufacturer African Originals secured a fresh $1 million (Sh120 million) capital injection from its Mauritius-based strategic investor to grow local operations.

The additional funding from Phoenix Beverages will be channelled into expanding the company’s manufacturing capacity, automating production, and unlocking larger volumes of locally sourced fruits.

African Originals founder and CEO Alexandra Chappatte says the move positions Kenya’s smallholder farmers at the centre of the company’s growth strategy.

The investment marks the company’s next phase, shifting from a fast-growing craft producer into a scalable regional beverage platform built on Kenyan ingredients.

“This funding allows us to double our production capacity and continue using real Kenyan fruit at scale. As we invest in machinery and automation, we unlock more demand for smallholder farmers. That’s where the biggest impact will be felt,” Chappatte said during a roundtable in Nairobi.

The new capital will upgrade the company’s production facility, raising its output from 20,000 hectolitres to around 40,000 hectolitres,  a transformation Chappatte says directly boosts demand for pineapples, mangoes, lemons and other fruits sourced from across Kenya.

African Originals already buys fruit from growers in regions including Kisii, Murang’a, Embu and Kilifi. Doubling production, the company says, translates to a proportional increase in fruit purchases, offering farmers a more stable and expanding market.

“If we continue to invest in machinery, we unlock more demand for farmers and their fruit. That’s why Kenya remains our primary manufacturing hub — it’s where the opportunity and the supply chain are strongest,” Chappatte noted.

Chappatte says African Originals is benefiting from a renewed investor appetite for physical consumer products, a sector often overshadowed by Kenya’s tech boom but still massive, fast-growing and deeply tied to everyday consumer behaviour.

“There is huge opportunity in FMCG products — brands people can touch, feel and emotionally connect with in their everyday lives,” she said. “For us, it’s about creating beverages that play a real role in people’s social moments, whether it’s a Friday night out or a casual drink with friends.”

The new investment strengthens a partnership formed in 2023 when PBL acquired a minority stake in African Originals.

Chappatte says the new phase is about “turning craft into scale” — but keeping farmers and Kenyan ingredients at the centre of the story.

The company has been particularly successful among younger Kenyan consumers, a demographic Chappatte describes as “increasingly sophisticated and underserved” by traditional beverage brands.

The company plans to accelerate innovation with the new funding, arguing that the Kenyan market is hungry for fresh, modern, locally inspired beverages.

“Innovation is where we win — we focus on what the Kenyan consumer wants today, not what has been in the market for decades,” Chappatte said.

While African Originals has begun expanding into Uganda and is seeing “great traction,” Chappatte says the company will concentrate its capital expenditure on Kenya.

“Kenya is the biggest opportunity. If our investment here creates ripple effects into Uganda or Tanzania, that’s great — but the heart of our manufacturing will remain Kenyan,” she said.

The company also exports to its investor PBL in Mauritius, giving it access to technical support, export opportunities and industry expertise beyond financing.