Congolese coffee sets record price at London auction

A London coffee roaster has paid $55.50 a kilogram for a Congolese coffee lot, a record price for coffee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, at an auction held in the city on 1-3 September.

Pact Coffee beat 63 other bidders for the lot, named Izuba, at the Best of Congo Cooperatives auction, which it hosted at its London offices in partnership with African Coffee Connect, the CongoAgri Platform and trading platform M-Cultivo. Izuba means "sun" in the producers' description, a symbol of "life, energy and renewal."

The coffee comes from Yetu Qahwah, a producer group in South Kivu, and is the first anaerobically processed coffee to come out of the DRC, according to the organisers. Bidding for the auction's 14 international lots opened at $13 a kilogram.

A first anaerobic lot from Congo just became the country's most expensive coffee.

The Best of Congo Cooperatives programme, now in its third year, drew 32 coffees from cooperatives stretching from the shores of Lake Kivu to the slopes of the Rwenzori mountains. Seven of this year's entries came from producer groups led by women, young people or the Batwa community, including three among the international winners.

A young origin still finding its price

Pact Coffee director Will Corby said the DRC is "still very early in establishing itself as a recognised specialty coffee origin," and that backing community-level lots is meant to encourage more roasters to buy direct. The winning coffee will join Pact's own menu as a limited release in 2027.

African Coffee Connect's Richard Hide said Congolese farmers are "more determined than ever to show the world what they are capable of," pointing to a season made harder by difficult access to plantations and rising logistical costs.

Building a market from scratch

The DRC remains a small player in specialty coffee next to neighbours such as Rwanda and Burundi, which built reputations with international buyers over the past two decades. Programmes like Best of Congo Cooperatives aim to shorten that path by connecting cooperatives directly with roasters willing to pay above commodity prices for verified quality.

Organisers said the 18 national-winner lots not sold at auction remain available through a separate offer sheet, which closed on 10 September. The result lands weeks before the next date on the coffee calendar: the US Barista Championship opens registration on 16 September.