* Since 2013 Kwanza Cocoa has been dedicated to creating a sustainable supply chain of cocoa through its plantation in Luwazi, Nkhata Bay to create a series of cocoa products
* We started our journey of value addition of cocoa products in July of 2021 to create our single origin craft chocolate with cocoa beans from our farm and other farmers in Malawi
By Duncan Mlanjira
Described as a rich and velvety chocolate, hand-crafted from beans grown plantations in Luwazi, Nkhata Bay, Kwanza Cocoa chocolate bar is reported to have reached the British market.
The news was announced by UK in Malawi, the official Facebook page of the British High Commission in Malawi, which described the development as “an inspiring story” from founder, Wezi Mzumara.
“Congratulations Wezi and the Kwanza Cocoa team on this exciting milestone and for showcasing the value of Malawian entrepreneurship and innovation,” said the report, which attracted over 200 responses and over 1,800 likes.
Advertisement
The responses described Kwanza Cocoa as an amazing brand, and appreciated that the founder Wezi Mzumara is very creative, and hitting the UK market is “a wonderful story of sustainability all around”.
According to Projectmal-Mzumara’s-journey-into-chocolate-making began after she pursued her education in the UK, earning a BA in Media, Culture & Communications from the University of Greenwich.
Initially, she aimed for a career in public relations and events in the fashion industry but upon her return home, things took a different turn due to the CoVID-19 pandemic that made her to think outside the box.
She thus decided to fully immerse herself in cocoa farming and chocolate making, whose roots date back to 2013 when Mzumara she started experimenting with cocoa farming and chocolate production in her kitchen.
Wezi Mzumara
Kwanza Cocoa was then officially registered as a company in 2021 adding value to local cocoa into hand-crafted chocolate products.
Projectmal.com quotes Mzumara as saying her dedicated team of 12 people produce “high-quality, single origin craft chocolate that supports local farmers, promotes sustainable agriculture, and tells an authentic African cocoa story to the world”.
Kwanza Cocoa craft chocolate bars comes in a variety that include dark, milk and white bars, supplying to bakeries and cafés while also offering custom chocolates for events.
“Our target market includes local and regional chocolate enthusiasts, corporate clients, health conscious consumers, tourists and premium hospitality clients,” she told Projectmal.com, which further reports that Kwanza Cocoa’s cocoa farm is situated in Luwazi, Nkhata Bay, while its production facility is based in Mzuzu.
The company is planning to increase its production capacity, expand into regional and international markets, and launch a flagship chocolate café experience — including introducing more inclusive training and partnership models for Malawian cocoa farmers to strengthen the supply chain.
Despite facing challenges such as limited access to specialised chocolate making equipment and high production costs, the report says Kwanza Cocoa remains committed to stay afloat: “Sustainability is at our core,” says Mzumara.
“We use local, organic practices on the farm, prioritise direct trade with farmers, minimise packaging waste and focus on long-term soil health and biodiversity on our plantation.”
She added that Kwanza Cocoa has collaborated with various institutions, including the Small & Medium Enterprises Development Institute (SMEDI) and the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), to enhance its business planning, market analysis, and brand positioning.
With these partnerships, she says the company is poised to make a significant impact in Malawi’s cocoa industry and beyond.
Cocoa fruits and its raw beans
On its website, Kwanza Cocoa reports that since 2013, it has been dedicated to creating a sustainable supply chain of cocoa through its plantation in collaboration with sorrounding farming communities and across the country.
“Our flagship product is our craft chocolate which features local inclusions such as the famous Kambuzi chilli, coffee, mangoes, baobab and many more. At Kwanza Cocoa, a key element of our business is our support and implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and these being:
* Gender equality — the team consists of 60% female, works with female farmers in the Luwazi area and provides them with free cocoa seedlings and training;
* Responsible production & consumption — products come straight from the farm to households without having a carbon footprint of going overseas to be processed;
* Life on land — plants 3,000+ cocoa trees annually, through the company has established an out-growers program engaging farmers across the country — who have an interest in agriculture and want to diversify into cocoa program.
The farmers are also trained farmers into best cocoa farming practices to create a sustainable supply chain, with the goal of being able to manufacture cocoa products for Malawi and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
“At Kwanza Cocoa we currently produce bespoke artisan chocolates and aim to expand into the production and sales of chocolates, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and a series of other products including locally sourced additives such as milk, cream, soya, coffee, macadamia, moringa and dehydrated seasonal fruits.
According to Kwanza-Cocoa-business-profile-by-agrinnovators.org/, Wezi Mzumara is a recipient of seed capital from the Tony Elumelu Foundation and alumna of the Women Entrepreneurship-4-Africa programme, who recently joined the African Women in Food Fellowship cohort of 2024.
“Wezi champions cross-border collaboration with other African producers and takes pride in crafting unique chocolate flavours inspired by local ingredients, while empowering smallholder farmers and introducing Malawian cocoa to wider markets.
Agrinnovators.org reports that when Wezi Mzumara returned to her family farm in Nkhata Bay, she discovered a few cocoa trees her parents had planted years earlier, and that though initially unfamiliar with cocoa farming, she was driven by inspiration from West African cocoa-producing countries.
She explored cocoa value-addition and immersed herself in the world of bean-to-bar chocolate by experimenting with fermentation and production. Encouraged by exchanges with African and Caribbean chocolatiers met virtually at the 2021 Eko Chocolate Show, she acquired basic processing equipment and launched small-scale production from home.
“With support from the Tony Elumelu Foundation and WE4A, she secured seed funding to build a dedicated processing facility in Mzuzu. From the beginning, Kwanza Cocoa was envisioned not just as a business, but as a tool to localize value chains, showcase Malawian-grown cocoa, and create opportunities for smallholder farmers.
“The company’s mission continues to evolve with commitment to innovation, quality, and regional collaboration.”
Mission: to unlock the potential of Malawian cocoa by crafting high-quality, locally made chocolate products that celebrate African flavours, empower smallholder farmers, and promote homegrown value chains.
Vision: to become a leading African-origin chocolate brand that inspires pride, builds inclusive supply networks, and connects consumers to the richness of Malawian agriculture through innovative, sustainable, and locally crafted chocolate.
Kwanza Cocoa differentiates itself by:
* Growing and sourcing cocoa locally, with additional ingredients (pineapple, chilli, strawberries, coffee, etc.) from Malawi and neighbouring countries;
* Controlling production from bean to bar, allowing for product experimentation and limited-edition batches;
* Leveraging digital channels and corporate gifting to market its chocolate while preparing for future cross-border expansion;
* Designing all packaging and branding in-house to ensure authenticity and cost efficiency; and
* Building collaborative relationships with other African producers, such as coffee farmers from Ghana and spice makers from Tanzania, for joint flavour innovations.
This model enables Kwanza Cocoa to remain agile, creative, and community-driven, positioning the company as a pioneer in Malawi’s emerging chocolate industry. Its community outgrower programme currently engages 30 farmers, while for the commercial outgrower includes over 75 farmers.
Beyond its direct farming activities, the company collaborates with a range of stakeholders across the value chain: coffee producers in Ghana, spice and oil artisans in Tanzania and South Africa (whose ingredients are featured in limited-edition bars), and local packaging suppliers in Malawi and Tanzania deliberately avoiding imports from China to support local businesses and mitigate foreign exchange challenges.
Kwanza Cocoa also maintains strong ties with corporate clients such as banks, insurance companies, and government institutions, which commission customised chocolate gifts, as well as with a digitally engaged customer base via WhatsApp and social media.
These partnerships reflect a broader vision to build a resilient and collaborative ecosystem that connects smallholder production with artisanal transformation and regional market access.
Advertisement