Agriculture is not for the faint-hearted, says entrepreneur

David Runge (front left) with Tamu Tamu Tanzania employees.

In a recent interview with How we made it in Africa, German entrepreneur David Runge, who invested in the Tanzanian apple farming business Tamu Tamu Tanzania, highlighted the numerous challenges of succeeding in the farming sector.

“Agriculture is not for the faint-hearted – capital intensive, long payback period, low margins, politically and weather influenced, and so on and so on,” he explained. “You have to hustle. You have to make it work. You have to bring some cash along to actually finance it till you make it work.”

While fruits like pineapples, bananas, and mangoes thrive in Africa’s equatorial regions, apples typically do not, as they prefer cooler climates. Despite high demand for apples in East Africa, most apples in the region are imported, and Runge saw an opportunity to supply the market with locally grown produce. Tamu Tamu has conducted extensive research and development to identify and cultivate apple varieties that can adapt to the equatorial climate.

The company currently sells apple trees to other farmers who want to enter the industry and has ambitions to expand its production of apple juice, cider, and other apple-based products for the Tanzanian market and beyond.

Watch our full in-depth interview with David Runge: Why this German invested in Tanzania’s first commercial apple farm

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