The BRICS 2023 Summit hosted in South Africa has produced the first green shoots of collaboration between member states Brazil and South Africa.
Brazil and South Africa are forging stronger ties in the coffee trade industry. CGTN’s Julie Scheier reports.
WATCH: Coffee trade Brazil and South Africa
From the coffee farms of Brazil to cups served in South Africa, the BRICS connection is becoming a key player in reshaping the dynamics of the coffee trade industry. Marunic Coffee, a prominent supplier, is at the forefront of this transformation.
Eduardo Fernandes from Marunic Coffee emphasises the efforts to introduce South Africa to the nuances of Brazilian coffee. He states, “In South Africa, we have been developing the market because they must know more about Brazilian coffee. We are trying to push the clients’ knowledge towards Brazilian coffee, high-grade speciality coffee, which is not so common in African countries.”
The impact is already visible, as Marunic Coffee seized the opportunity to expand its brand in South Africa at this year’s Speciality Coffee Expo in Cape Town. Importing 60 containers of coffee from Brazil, totalling 20 tonnes each, the company contributes to about 1,200 tonnes of coffee, equating to approximately $17 million in annual imports.
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China’s growing interest in coffee
China’s growing interest in coffee further adds a layer of significance to this collaboration, setting the stage for deeper trade within the BRICS block. Coffee enthusiasts and industry experts see potential in this growing market.
Jian Chuan Lee, a coffee lover, says, “Connections globally, particularly in BRICS, is Brazil, the world’s biggest coffee producer. Coffee originally comes from Africa. I personally love African coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopian coffee. Now I drink coffee daily.”
Dylan Cumming, Director of Growth at Beaver Creek, notes the growing demand for high-quality coffee in China and the potential export opportunities for South African coffee growers.
The collaboration between Brazil and African nations in the coffee industry has historical significance, and after the BRICS Summit, both regions are hopeful for further growth and cooperation. Industry leaders emphasize the potential for leveraging the BRICS relationship to expand into new markets.
Darren Levy, CEO of Vida e Caffé, states, “There’s still more opportunity to leverage that BRICS relationship into the countries that we haven’t sourced from before and the existing countries to continue not only to feed this industry, which globally is growing but particularly in South Africa.”
David Donde, Founder of Truth Coffee, adds, “Brazil and South Africa have very similar problems on an economic and political basis. I personally believe what is going to get us out of this is prosperity, and BRICS plays a very important role in building that prosperity.”
In summary, the shared love for coffee is not only a cultural bond but also a driver of economic collaboration, fostering trade ties and brewing prosperity among the BRICS countries.
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