Ketapa

What Ketapa does

Kenya Tea Packers Limited (KETEPA), founded in 1978 and headquartered in Kericho, Kenya, is the country's leading tea blending and packaging company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kenya Tea Development Agency (Holdings) Limited (KTDA), which gives KETEPA privileged access to a network of more than 60 KTDA-owned tea factories and over 650,000 small-scale farmers. The company blends, processes, and packages a portfolio of more than 50 products spanning black tea (Fahari ya Kenya, Ketepa Pride, Safari Pure), green tea (Jani), purple tea, white tea, orthodox tea, twelve-plus flavored tea variants, herbal infusions (Sleep Easy, Immunitea, Vitalitea, Heart Chai, Lemon Grass, Hibiscus), bottled water under the Maisha Pure Water brand, and limited-edition gift packs. Manufacturing is supported by ISO 22000:2018 food safety and ISO 9001:2015 quality management certifications, plus state-of-the-art sealing and packaging machinery with heat-sealed teabag capability.

KETEPA generates revenue through three primary streams: one-time retail sales of packaged tea and bottled water through traditional Kenyan retail and a direct e-commerce storefront (ketepa.com/shop/); professional-services contract packing for external clients with custom branding and contract packaging, including performance reporting on efficiency, quality, traceability, and profitability; and export sales to international markets via a dedicated Export Markets function. Pricing is unit-based and ranges from KSh 24 for a 300ml water bottle to KSh 5,250 for a 12-chamber luxury gift box, positioning the portfolio across mass-market, premium specialty, and gifting tiers.

The customer base spans Kenyan household consumers (primary), enterprise B2B clients using contract packing services, and international buyers in export markets. Distribution leverages KTDA's upstream farmer network for raw leaf supply, the company's own packaging facility for value-add manufacturing, and a multi-channel downstream mix of retail, e-commerce, and export. Marketing is conducted across owned social channels, recipe-driven content marketing, and earned media through industry awards. The company is privately held with no public listing, no disclosed venture funding, and no recorded M&A activity.

Name

Ketapa

Legal name

Kenya Tea Packers Limited

Website

https://ketepa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kenya Tea Packers Limited (KETEPA) is a Kericho-based tea blending and packaging company, founded in 1978 and wholly owned by KTDA Holdings, serving Kenyan household consumers, B2B contract packing clients, and export markets with a portfolio of over 50 tea, herbal infusion, and bottled water products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Tea and Beverages

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Coffee & Tea Beverage Co-Packing (RTD Coffee/Tea, Cold Brew) (AFAFAIAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

Keywords

• Tea blending
• Tea packaging
• Herbal infusions
• Bottled water
• Contract packing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kericho

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tea Product Sales: Direct sales of packaged tea products across multiple varieties including black tea, flavored tea, green tea, purple tea, white tea, orthodox tea, and herbal infusions through retail and e-commerce channels
2. Bottled Water (Maisha Pure Water): Sales of packaged drinking water under Maisha Pure Water brand in various sizes (300ml to 20L)
3. Contract Packing Services: Customized branding and contract packaging services for external clients, planning and overseeing contract packing projects ensuring timelines, specifications and quality requirements are met

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kenya Tea Packers (KETEPA) is the leading tea blending and packaging company in Kenya, sourcing, blending and packaging Kenyan tea leaves into a portfolio of over 50 products including black tea, flavoured tea, green tea, purple tea, white tea, orthodox tea, and herbal infusions. The company also bottles Maisha Pure Water and provides contract packing and customized branding services for external clients.

Product overview

Ketapa (Kenya Tea Packers Limited) is Kenya's leading tea blending and packaging company offering over 50 products. The portfolio includes core black tea brands (Ketepa Pride, Safari Pure, Fahari ya Kenya), green tea (Jani), specialty teas (Purple Tea, White Tea, Orthodox Tea), flavored teas (12+ varieties including Earl Grey, Cardamom, Vanilla), herbal infusions (Sleep Easy, Vitalitea, Immunitea, Heart Chai, Lemon Grass, Hibiscus), bottled water (Maisha Pure Water), and gift products (Limited Edition Packs, Gift Tea Boxes). Products range from economy to premium segments, available as loose tea, tea bags (tagged/untagged/enveloped), and gift packaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fahari ya Kenya: Top trusted tea brand in Kenya, blended from medium-sized granules of tea with distinct aroma and rich colour
• Ketepa Pride
• Safari Pure
• Jani Green Tea
• Purple Tea
• Vitalitea
• Immunitea
• Sleep Easy
• Maisha Pure Water
• Heart Chai
• Pure Hibiscus
• Chai Halisi

Products and services

• Ketepa Pride Black Tea Flagship black tea brand blended from finer granules for full, fast infusion, available in tagged, untagged, catering packs and jars (25-100 sachets) for households and hospitality.
• Safari Pure Tea Premium tea blend offering superior taste and rich aroma of Kenyan tea, available as loose tea, enveloped and tagged tea bags, and cylindrical tins.
• Fahari ya Kenya Tea Number one trusted tea brand in Kenya, blended from medium-sized granules with distinct aroma and rich colour, available in soft packs and Tangawizi (ginger) variants.
• Jani Green Tea All-natural, light green, fresh and aromatic green tea with delicate taste and health benefits, available as loose tea and tea bags in various flavours.
• Ketepa Purple Tea Specialty tea rich in anthocyanin with anti-inflammatory and anti-viral benefits, available as loose leaf and tea bags.
• White Tea Premium specialty tea made from immature tea leaves with minimal processing, high antioxidant levels and lower caffeine than black or green tea.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 products across multiple tea varieties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kenya Tea Development Agency Holdings (KTDA Holdings)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKETEPA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kenya Tea Development Agency (Holdings) Limited. This parent-subsidiary relationship provides KETEPA with access to KTDA's network of 60+ tea factories and 650,000+ small-scale farmers, ensuring a reliable supply chain for tea sourcing and manufacturing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• James Finlay (Swire Group): James Finlay is a major producer and blender of Kenyan tea with sourcing and processing operations in Kenya. Directly competes with Ketepa for Kenyan black tea volumes, contract packing, and export markets.
• Limuru Tea Company: Long-established Kenyan tea company with own estate and packaging operations. Competes with Ketepa in branded Kenyan tea and leverages similar heritage/heritage positioning.
• Kapchorua Tea Kenya: Listed Kenyan tea producer with own plantation and blending operations. Comparable as a Kenyan tea company serving both domestic and export markets with a parallel product range.
• Sasini Tea (Sasini Plc): Kenyan agricultural company with a tea division producing and selling packed tea within Kenya and export markets. Closely comparable in geography, product mix, and target customer base.

Emerging players

• Dilmah Tea: Single-origin Ceylon tea company with growing presence in premium and herbal tea globally. Comparable in the specialty/premium tea bag segment where Ketepa competes with Safari Pure and herbal SKUs.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Consumer Products (Tetley): Global tea and beverage company behind Tetley and Tata Tea. Directly comparable in product category (blended black and specialty tea bags) and competes in East African and export markets.
• Twinings (Associated British Foods): Heritage premium tea brand competing in the flavored and specialty tea category (Earl Grey, herbal). Overlaps with Ketepa's flavored and herbal infusion product lines in export markets.
• Unilever Tea (Lipton / Brooke Bond): Global tea giant with mass-market brands (Lipton, Brooke Bond) sold across East Africa. Competes with Ketepa in mainstream black tea and tea bags in Kenyan retail, though as part of a much broader portfolio.

Others

• Twiga Foods (consumer distribution): Kenya's largest FMCG distribution platform. Relevant as the dominant retail-distribution channel through which Ketepa's products reach Kenyan consumers, shaping shelf positioning and reach.

Regional players

• Bidco Africa (Drascom): Large East African FMCG manufacturer producing cooking oils, soaps, and beverages. Comparable as a regional branded CPG manufacturer competing for retail shelf space and consumer wallet share in Kenya.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KetepaLtd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ketepalimited9952?si=tXH2dRFS5dif6mqS
• Facebookfacebook.com/KetepaLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenya-tea-packers-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/ketepalimited/profilecard/?igsh=MWp4NnBmMnBqMDJ0dg==

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ketapa