I am an entrepreneur from Uganda, East Africa. I am a professional accountant, a business analyst, a social worker and a lawyer. I am the founder at Pumzi Teas, a name I drew from the Swahili phrase (pumzi ya maisha), meaning ‘breathe of life.’ Pumzi means breath.
I started Pumzi Teas from my own search for a solution, a healthy beverage that could ease and soothe my heart ache. I had gone off sugar and processed drinks and tea was my comfort. The warmth of a hot cup of tea wrapped around my hands and the breath-taking aroma warmed my heart. I was going through the heartache and loneliness of a painful marriage and tea was my comfort.
The plain tea leaves and the work involved in making the tea flavored was laborious, the additions of lemon, limes, ginger and mint among other spices was too much work for my new found habit.
I decided to dry and put them together for an instant tea, and these were my calm and soothing blends. The teas attracted the interest of my friends and colleagues and as the referrals and recommendations came in, I began to toy with the idea of starting it as a business.
In 2020 when the world slowed down due to COVID 19, I took an entrepreneurship class that gave me the push and encouragement to make my first prototype for the market. The feedback from the market and the repeat orders, and the testimonies from the customers gave me the push I needed.
I grew the business from my savings as I ran it as a side business alongside my day job as a Finance and Admin Manager. Then, my marriage ended in a divorce and I needed an extra source of income. I built the business model, with a vision to build teas that heal the body, soul and mind. Then I enrolled in a course on herbal teas and herbs profiling and the Chinese art of tea blending.
This knowledge I used to improve my blends and boost my confidence in my herbal tea blends formulations. In 2022 when I lost my job I focused on building the business to scale. Since the goal was to build a global tea brand, I sought all the tools and knowledge I could get.
With funding from my benefits and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF)’s Hi-Innovator program in Uganda, we set up a demo farm for seedling multiplication of the rare herbs, increased our drying capacity and processing machinery. Our products were certified for quality and we are currently supplying our products to the local market and to the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Last year, I fell sick and while on bed rest I enrolled for an export readiness course by ImpactHer, an impact-driven non-profit organization that seeks to empower African female entrepreneurs by bridging the gender business financing gap, supported by AfreximBank.
This gave me the knowledge of how to set up an export plan, how to research into consumer behaviors in the export market, knowledge of tariff issues and Customs requirements. These I submitted and was included in the raffle to win a fully sponsored trip to IATF 2025 in Algiers, the capital of Algeria.
The connections, the experiences and the doors that have been opened are nothing short of a miracle. I am looking forward to closing deals and entering into partnerships, and taking Pumzi Teas fully to the global stage.
