Kampala / New Orleans — Inspire Africa Group (IAG) and ARAPAPA by Santa Anzo have announced a strategic collaboration for the upcoming 37th Annual Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Convention, taking place in New Orleans, USA, from August 29 to September 1, 2025.
This collaboration aligns with Inspire Africa Group’s bold mission to grow Uganda’s coffee revenues from the current USD 2 billion to USD 5 billion within the next five years through coffee exports and coffee tourism.
The partnership with ARAPAPA will extend Uganda’s coffee footprint into the U.S. market, leveraging fashion, cultural storytelling, and celebrity influence.
Globally, coffee is a USD 460 billion industry, yet Africa earns only USD 2.5 billion, mostly from unprocessed raw beans. A kilogram of green beans sells for about USD 2.5, while the same processed and packaged can fetch up to USD 40.
By marrying coffee exports with coffee tourism, IAG aims to attract 6 million international visitors annually, up from the current 704,012, making coffee not just a product but an experience and lifestyle that sells Uganda to the world.
Just as Gulf countries have successfully used sports diplomacy to rebrand themselves as global destinations, Inspire Africa believes fashion diplomacy can be the new tool for Uganda — using coffee and couture to market the country as a hub for both coffee excellence and fashion tourism.
The partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), will see Inspire Africa Group contribute a strategic investment towards the ARAPAPA Fashion Showcase, a premier event at the convention.
ARAPAPA, curated by Uganda’s fashion icon Santa Anzo, will deliver a world-class cultural experience under the theme “Brewed in Uganda, Styled for the world.”
This collaboration brings together two of Uganda’s most influential cultural ambassadors—coffee and fashion—to celebrate Ugandan identity, heritage, and global pride.
The ARAPAPA Fashion Showcase, supported by Inspire Africa Coffee, will include:
1. Limited-Edition Collection – A capsule fashion line by Santa Anzo, inspired by Ugandan coffee culture, styled for the diaspora, and unveiled on the international stage.
2. Coffee as Couture: Where Taste Meets Texture – Fashion storytelling through the warm earthy tones and textures of Ugandan coffee.
Inspire Africa Group (IAG) is a Ugandan-based enterprise championing coffee value addition, heritage branding, and international market
expansion. In Ntungamo District, IAG is building the Africa Coffee Park, a 150-acre industrial hub that will host:
• The largest coffee processing plant in Eastern and Central Africa, using freeze-dry technology to produce 10,000 MT annually of instant coffee, roasted coffee, ground coffee, coffee energy drinks, and coffee beauty cosmetics.
• A 4,000-seater sports complex, a 1,000-seater convention center, a coffee academy, a business and exhibition center, and an IT park dedicated to Africa’s Artificial Intelligence vision.
ARAPAPA by Santa Anzo is Uganda’s premier fashion brand, founded by celebrated designer Santa Anzo, a cultural icon and President of Uganda International Fashion Week. With over two decades of innovation.
ARAPAPA has become a beacon of Ugandan fashion, identity, and cultural pride.
Renowned for its bold storytelling and African-inspired couture, ARAPAPA has graced prestigious international runways, positioning Uganda as a center for creativity and design. The fashion house continues to break
boundaries by fusing fashion with other industries—this time, through a unique collaboration with Inspire Africa Coffee.
The UNAA 2025 showcase is just the beginning. Both Inspire Africa Group and ARAPAPA envision a broader campaign connecting coffee, fashion, and tourism, designed to present Uganda’s finest to the world stage.
This initiative is part of a long-term vision to position Uganda as a global destination for heritage, creativity, and excellence.
