Zambia

Kateshi Estate

Region: Northern Province

Estate: Kateshi

Altitude: 1450masl

Varietal: Castillo, Catimor 129

Certification: Conventional

Processing: Natural/Dry Processed

Tasting Notes: Lemon & Lime, Marzipan, Peach

Established in 1972 near Kateshi village, Kateshi Coffee Estate is one of Zambia’s first coffee estates and a cornerstone of coffee production in the country’s north. In its early years, it served as the region’s central wet mill, playing a vital role in processing locally grown coffee. Today, Kateshi continues to stand out, earning 1st and 2nd place in Zambia’s annual Taste of Harvest competition for its exceptional natural and honey-processed coffees.

Commitment to Community

Kateshi Coffee Estate is deeply invested in the well-being of its local community. Through Olam, the estate provides daily access to safe drinking water for over 20,000 people and supports three schools, offering primary and secondary educationto more than 1,500 students. On-site, there is also a fully equipped health clinic, the only medical facility within 30km, providing free basic healthcare to over 4,000 people and treating an average of 95 patients per day.

Challenging gender norms, Kateshi is the first and only coffee estate in Zambia to employ women in traditionally male-dominated roles, including operating tractors, bulldozers, and road graders. And beyond coffee, the estate even sponsors a football team, the Kateshi Coffee Bullets, who compete in Zambia’s First Division.

A Region Rich in Natural Wonders

Long before European explorers arrived, the majestic Victoria Falls was known by locals as “the smoke that thunders”, pouring into the Zambezi River, which winds eastward toward Mozambique. A left turn up the Luangwa River leads to a landscape teeming with biodiversity, including the world’s largest concentration of hippos. Rising to 1,500 meters on the Mafinga Plateau, this region is home to Olam’s five coffee estates.

Zambia’s Northern Province, bordering Tanzania and the D.R. Congo, sits along the southern shore of Lake Tanganyika—the world’s longest freshwater lake and Africa’s largest by volume. The province offers ideal conditions for Arabica coffee cultivation, thanks to its altitude and proximity to the equator. The rugged terrain and limited infrastructure present challenges, but coffee remains the region’s primary commercial crop, alongside subsistence farming of maize, millet, groundnuts, and beans. With its investment in coffee, Kateshi is driving economic growth in an area that greatly benefits from development.

The Process

Kateshi’s coffee is carefully processed to ensure exceptional quality. Only the finest cherries are selected through double handpicking, achieving over 98% consistency in fully ripe cherries. After floatation sorting to remove low-density cherries, they undergo 24-hour anaerobic fermentation in sealed tanks. The cherries are then slow-dried on raised beds in thin layers (just two cherries deep) for even drying, with frequent turning over a period of three to four weeks.

Through its commitment to quality, sustainability, and community development, Kateshi Coffee Estate continues to shape the future of Zambian coffee.