Inspire Africa Coffee Park has intensified its drive to promote Ugandan coffee consumption by sponsoring the ongoing Pearl of Africa Rally with branded vehicles and supplying rally teams with its newly launched cold brew coffee.
The initiative saw five branded rally cars officially flagged off to participate in the competition, which kicked off in Mbarara, as the coffee brand seeks to position itself at the intersection of sports, tourism, and national identity.
In addition to the vehicles, the company provided 1,000 tins of cold brew coffee to participating teams, in what it described as a strategic move to deepen product visibility, encourage domestic consumption, and build anticipation ahead of the Coffee Marathon scheduled for October 3.
The campaign reflects a growing trend among Ugandan coffee stakeholders to expand focus beyond exports and strengthen local consumption of home-grown coffee products.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, Inspire Africa Coffee Park Chief Executive Officer Nelson Tugume said Uganda must increasingly prioritize local products as a pathway to economic transformation.
“Uganda has reached a time when we must support our own,” Tugume said, emphasizing the importance of building national pride around domestic products.
He described the newly introduced cold brew coffee as a performance-oriented product tailored for athletes, motorists, and individuals with active lifestyles.
“This is our main drink for sports people, marathon runners, footballers and many others. This is going to be your drink, friends,” he said, adding that the company intends to position Ugandan coffee as a preferred energy beverage.
Tugume further noted that sports provide a powerful platform for promoting Uganda’s potential both locally and internationally.
“Sports bring everyone in the world together to appreciate potential,” he said.
Beyond sports marketing, Inspire Africa Coffee is also expanding its vision into coffee tourism. Tugume revealed plans aimed at attracting more than one million tourists through coffee-related experiences and innovations, positioning coffee as a central pillar of Uganda’s tourism offering.
“We are looking forward to when we shall bring over 1,000,000 tourists for coffee tourism,” he stated.
Motorsport participants welcomed the partnership, with rally driver Didas Matsiko, speaking on behalf of Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) competitors, saying the cold brew product aligns well with the demands of the sport.
“We are going to promote this cold brew because the power in this is what we have in our cars,” Matsiko said, adding that motorsport offers a strong platform for promoting energy-focused brands.
All five drivers participating in the campaign are affiliated with FMU.
Tugume also commended the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, for his consistent advocacy for coffee growing and efforts to encourage Ugandans to embrace coffee consumption.
He stressed that increasing domestic consumption of Ugandan coffee products would strengthen the value chain, create jobs, and expand opportunities across production, processing, hospitality, and tourism sectors.
The Pearl of Africa Rally continues with multiple stages across western Uganda, attracting both local and regional competitors as part of the national motorsport calendar.
