The East African region and tea have had a long-standing history, with tea growing traced as far back as the 1900s in the region. Today, as you drive across Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, you will be treated to acres of tea estates where some of the world’s finest teas are grown.

Here are three facts you may or may not know about the region and tea:

• Tea growing was first introduced in the region by the British. While the first African nation to grow the crop was Malawi, the British began to expand into the East African region, because of the ideal climate and fertile soils. The first commercial tea estate in Kenya was planted in present-day Limuru, and in the botanical gardens in Entebbe, Uganda.

• East Africa remains one of the leading exporters of tea worldwide. Kenya remains the largest producer of tea in Africa and among the top three worldwide, producing more than 300, 000 tonnes. Uganda has also boosted its tea production to over sixty million kilograms per annum. 

• The tea industry supports the livelihood of more than 1,000,000 in the region. The majority of the work on the tea estates remains manual to this day, providing employment and a means of income to households, especially in rural areas.

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 “No matter what is happening in your life, you always offer tea.”