How Bridget Akanga Built Arabku Export Trading Into a Multi-Million Coffee Export Business in Uganda

In this episode of CEO Insights Uganda, we speak with Bridget Akanga, a Ugandan woman who exports Ugandan coffee to Europe and the Middle East, with each shipment valued at over $100,000. Bridget buys coffee directly from villages in Uganda, works closely with farmers, adds value, and oversees the entire export process from farm to international buyer. Her work shows that Ugandans can move beyond selling raw products and instead build viable export businesses that generate real revenue.

Bridget did not start big. She began by selling Ugandan foods like matooke to fellow Ugandans from her apartment in Sweden. With time, learning, and discipline, she saw a bigger opportunity in coffee and slowly built a trusted supply chain that connects Ugandan farmers to global markets. Today, she represents Uganda on international coffee panels, speaks for farmers, and proudly puts Uganda on the world map as a source of quality coffee.

In this episode, Bridget breaks down how she built the business step by step, the mistakes she made, the challenges of exporting, and why value addition is the future for Uganda. She explains how Ugandan youth, women, and people in the diaspora can start small, grow with purpose, and build businesses that scale beyond borders. If you are tired of the office job, thinking about self-employment, or looking for a real-world example of how Ugandan women are leading Africa’s export revolution, this conversation will give you clear lessons, strong motivation, and the confidence to start. You can reach Bridget directly at +46700224556.

Are you a Business Owner, Corporate Leader, or someone with a story others need to hear? We would love to feature you on our show! Contact us today via WhatsApp at +14692781138 or +256704233306.

Episode Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:30 How she entered the coffee export business with no blueprint
15:50 How much Ugandan coffee she exports every month (real numbers)
16:05 The biggest challenges in sourcing quality coffee in Uganda
18:30 Why Uganda’s coffee supply is so volatile
27:20 How much a container of Ugandan coffee sells for on the global market
31:00 Taking Ugandan coffee to international coffee expos
33:30 How exporters actually get paid in the coffee business
40:00 The hardest moments that almost made her quit
44:40 Her journey as a woman in the Ugandan coffee industry
49:35 Government programs that are helping Ugandan coffee farmers
53:30 The full coffee export process explained step by step
56:00 How long coffee takes to grow before harvest in Uganda
59:20 Building the team behind the export business
1:00:15 Advice for Ugandans who want to enter the coffee business
1:02:30 The future vision for Arabku Export Trading
1:05:15 What friends and family really think about her business

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CEO Insights Uganda with Herbert Rwabugahya is Uganda's number one business podcast. As the most watched and fastest growing Ugandan podcast, it continues to dominate the charts across YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and every major streaming platform. Consistently ranked as the best podcast in Uganda, CEO Insights Uganda brings the country’s vibrant business and leadership landscape to life through powerful storytelling, raw success stories, and real-life insights that inspire action.

At its core, CEO Insights Uganda is not just a podcast—it is the voice of Uganda’s transformation. Each week, host Herbert Rwabugahya engages in compelling, unfiltered conversations with Uganda’s most influential CEOs, startup founders, policymakers, investors, creatives, and visionaries. These are not scripted interviews; they are immersive dialogues that peel back the curtain on the innovations, failures, comebacks, leadership decisions, and strategic pivots that are shaping Uganda’s future. From Kampala to Gulu, from the diaspora to the boardroom, CEO Insights Uganda stands unmatched as Uganda’s number one business podcast for meaningful, relevant, and motivational content.

Whether you’re searching for a “Uganda podcast,” “top Ugandan podcast on YouTube,” “Kampala business podcasts,” “East African entrepreneurship podcast,” or “CEO interviews Uganda,” this is the show that consistently delivers. If you’ve ever looked up content like the Lynn Ngugi Show, The Diary of a CEO podcast, or wanted to know how to start a business in Uganda, you’ve now found your ultimate destination. CEO Insights Uganda is where Uganda’s best ideas meet Uganda’s brightest minds, creating a platform that educates, challenges, and empowers its listeners in every episode.