Startup Story
Iolanda Almeida is the founder and CEO of INMA LIMITADA based in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province. She is a coffeepreneur and award-winning enterprise leader in Mozambique for the NEPAD SAN Bio Phase II BioFISA FEM BioBiz Programme. Iolanda’s business is focused on processing coffee from Ibo Island in Mozambique´s World Biosphere Reserve for the internal market. She founded the business in 2015 to support almost 150 Ibo Coffee farmers, for social inclusion and local development.
LoA learned more about Iolanda Almeida’s high impact business and her vision for the future.
What does your company do?
Agrobusiness, Tourism and Services. The main activity is coffee processing and creative industries linked to local culture and coffee.
“The ultimate aim of our business is to benefit the economies of the local communities on the island.”
What inspired you to start your company?
I am an agronomic engineer with experience in local seed production and achieved my master degree in local development and tourism management in 2012. Since then, as my grandparents are barred at Ibo island, I found the opportunity to preserve the local and native species (Coffea racemosa Lour and Coffea zanguebariae Lour.) and link all the Ibo Village heritage and story, with the tourism, by making an innovative marriage called "agritourism based in Ibo Coffee". So, I started to promote it in the local fairs, then started to buy from the local farmers for them to continue protecting the culture, guarantee their market and have some profit.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
The Ibo Coffee is unique, native, and has a low caffeine content, and all the value chain involves local people and preserves the environment. The aroma and taste are also unique and in one package we also offer the local history and heritage. It is principally found growing naturally in areas of coral stone on the island. In the past it was recognized for its unique qualities particularly in relation to taste and smell and was awarded the Gold Medal Certificate at a food exhibition in Lisbon as far back as 1906. The annual harvest is an important and exciting time of the year for both locals and tourists. Most of the coffee is used locally but a small portion is dried and stored using traditional methods and sold beyond the island where demand for this wonderful coffee far outstrips supply.
The ultimate aim of our business is to benefit the economies of the local communities on the island. It is the women in these communities that are the focus of the industry and its development will enable them to contribute to their own household incomes and in turn the economy of the island. The challenge facing them is to get motivated to reinstate productivity levels to those which were achieved in the past whilst improving growing, harvesting, and processing techniques to produce in quantity a coffee of high quality whilst maintaining the unique traditions and environment of the island.
The islanders have a unique opportunity to develop a tourist trail focused on a combination of a revitalized coffee industry, together with stories of its historical development including many old structures and buildings in a unique environment. When all considered together, this provides an exciting challenge to develop their economy.
“I always wanted to turn back to my Province, Cabo Delgado, to give my contribution to the local development.”
Tell us a little about your team
Our team is composed of the Founder and CEO (agronomic engineer and master in local development and tourism management); the web page manager (architect and designer), the brand designer (specialist in marketing and communications) and a roaster (two with elementary level).
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I always consider myself as a very curious person and each opportunity I try to learn new things. I develop my activities with passion and a focus on local development and empathy. I studied in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, but I always wanted to turn back to my Province, Cabo Delgado, to give my contribution to the local development. I think this is linked with my family background as my father was a nurse, seeking always to promote the cure and give healing solutions.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My future plan is to train the local farmers in the best coffee production techniques; to contribute to the local and traditional knowledge and cultural expressions protection at the Ibo Island; and to constantly improve my business and employ more people (accounts, delivery staff and lawyer).
“My future plan is to train the local farmers in the best coffee production techniques.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The most satisfaction is doing what I like to do and pursue my objectives.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
The biggest piece of advice I can give to other women looking to start-up, is to always investigate about the idea, work hard, be honest, persistent, and always try to have feedback about the idea/business or product.
Contact or follow INMA LIMITADA
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL iolandaalmeida@hotmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
There is always something very powerful about women entrepreneurs who build businesses that are impact focused from the beginning, and in Mozambique, Iolanda Almeida is has an impact driven vision. Her passion for supporting economic growth and people development through the coffee production value chain is admirable and her impact, both now and in the future, is positively changing lives and the economic direction of her community. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa