We are pleased to announce our Hero Spotlight of the Month: 2022 ABH Grand Prize Winner, Elia Timotheo. Elia is a Tanzanian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of East Africa Fruits Co., a company revolutionizing the agricultural value chain in Tanzania. His entrepreneurial spirit was ignited by his mother's transformation from a street food vendor to owning five restaurants in the Kilimanjaro region. This familial influence instilled in him a determination to forge his own path in business.
In 2013, with a modest savings of $4,000, Elia founded East Africa Fruits Co. The company aimed to streamline the agricultural supply chain by reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access for smallholder farmers. They implemented cold chain logistics and value addition processes, such as ripening green bananas before distribution, to enhance product quality and shelf life. By aggregating demand and supplying fresh produce directly from farms to urban markets, the company sought to eliminate inefficiencies caused by multiple intermediaries.
In 2020, the company secured $3.1 million in Series A funding from investors including Goodwell Investments, FINCA Ventures, and elea. This capital infusion was aimed at scaling operations, enhancing supply chain infrastructure, and expanding the company's reach to more farmers and vendors.
By 2022, East Africa Fruits Co. had worked with over 10,000 smallholder farmers, providing them with training, fair pricing, and reliable market access. The company was supplying produce to more than 7,000 retailers, including supermarkets, restaurants, and informal vendors across Tanzania. To support its growing operations, the company established four processing and distribution centers in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar.
Elia's efforts culminated in winning the Grand Prize at the 2022 Africa's Business Heroes competition.
In December 2024, East Africa Fruits Co. secured an additional $2 million in funding aimed at revolutionizing smallholder farming. This investment is directed toward expanding operations, enhancing the technology platform, and providing additional support to smallholder farmers.
East Africa Fruits Co.’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Congratulations to Elia and the entire team on their remarkable achievements—from all of us in the ABH community.
Sources: How we made it in Africa, We are Tech, Leads on Trees, Cision PR Web, East Africa Foods Co. site.
