Agnes Mukamushinja is the Founder and Managing Director of Nova Coffee which she founded with her husband, Felix Hitayezu. We grow, process and export exquisite single origin Arabica coffee from the mountains of northern Rwanda.

Agnes and Felix are coffee farmers, and with over 25 years of experience in the business, and wanted to use their experience to develop a coffee enterprise that leads the way in socially responsible practices.

Together, we started Nova Coffee as a family business in 2015.

Agnes’ father was an agronomist who monitored coffee plantations in the same area where Nova Coffee is now located – in the Bukure Sector.

As we have grown our business, in partnership with our communities, we have focussed on our values of honest entrepreneurship, building relationships, and focussing on quality. We work for our sisters, brothers and neighbors who live and work beside us. It is a heritage in which we are profoundly rooted and provides us with our vision and drives our passion.

As we have grown our business, in partnership with our communities, we have focussed on our values of honest entrepreneurship, building relationships, and focussing on quality. We work for our sisters, brothers and neighbors who live and work beside us. It is a heritage in which we are profoundly rooted and provides us with our vision and drives our passion.

We are proud that Nova Coffee is now one of Rwanda’s foremost coffee growers, processors and exporters of fine red Arabica Bourbon, Fully Washed and Natural. And achieving cupping scores of 86 to 89+ together with UTZ accreditation is a testament to our dedication to exceptional specialty coffee.

But we never stop striving to improve on every aspect of our business. We are Organic Certified , and we are in process in Café Practice and Rainforest Alliance certification. And we love working in partnership with our staff and farmers to build capacity and capability.

Our staff are dedicated and experienced. They play a critical role and are part of our extended family. Helping them develop their skills is important to us – it is part of our legacy to our community.

And our 2,800 coffee farmers – many of whom are women and youth – are also part of our family. We support them to grow exquisite coffee and ensure they receive fair prices for their hard work and dedication to this precious crop.

We see coffee as a unifying and peaceful force, particularly supporting and appreciating women in the sector. Agnes is very clear about her mission: “Being able to start our business and working with fellow women of my native region is about staying connected. I feel honored to be contributing to careers, friendship and prosperity.”