Buy from East Africa: Coffee, Vanilla, Tanzanite, Sesame and More, Country by Country
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Buy from East Africa: what each country does best
East Africa grows some of the world’s most prized coffee, almost all of its vanilla, and the only tanzanite on earth. Each country has its own marketing rules: some crops are sold through national exchanges or auctions, some minerals only through licensed dealers. This page tells you what to buy where, and how.
Country by country
| Country | Worth buying | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Cashew, sesame, coffee, cloves (Zanzibar), tanzanite | Tanzanite is mined only here; cashew is sold through a warehouse receipt system. Port: Dar es Salaam |
| Uganda | Robusta coffee, Nile perch, sesame, cocoa | Africa’s largest coffee exporter; ships via Mombasa or Dar es Salaam |
| Ethiopia | Arabica coffee, sesame, cut flowers, leather | Arabica’s birthplace; much coffee trades through the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange. Ships via Djibouti |
| Rwanda | Specialty coffee, tea, tin, tantalum and tungsten | Minerals need due-diligence documents |
| Burundi | Coffee, tea | Small volumes of fine coffee |
| Madagascar | Vanilla, cloves, lychees, graphite | The world’s largest vanilla producer; check bean grade and moisture |
| Mauritius | Sugar, textiles, tuna | Duty-free access to many markets |
| Sudan & South Sudan | Gum arabic, sesame | Sudan supplies most of the world’s gum arabic; conflict has disrupted trade since 2023 |
| Djibouti | Port and free zone for Ethiopia | A transit hub rather than a producer |
| Somalia, Eritrea, Seychelles, Comoros | Livestock and frankincense (Somalia), tuna (Seychelles), cloves and ylang-ylang (Comoros) | Small, specialised volumes |
Precious minerals from this region are sold through licensed or state channels, often with Kimberley Process or due-diligence rules. Private offers with an upfront “export fee” are almost always scams. Read our anti-fraud guide.
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Questions buyers ask us
Where does most vanilla come from?
Can I buy tanzanite outside Tanzania?
How does Ethiopian coffee reach Africa’s west coast?
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