Kisima
Aqua Cool Ltd (Kisima) is a Tanzanian hydration solutions provider founded in 1998, offering bulk bottled drinking water, KisCafe coffee/tea vending, and Aquatec point-of-use water purifiers to households, 500+ businesses, and institutions across Dar es Salaam and nationwide via a 30-truck delivery fleet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersDar Es Salaam, Tanzania
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kisima does
Aqua Cool Ltd, operating under the Kisima brand, is a Tanzanian hydration solutions provider founded in 1998 and headquartered in Dar es Salaam. It pioneered bulk bottled water delivery in Tanzania (Swahili "Kisima" means water well) and has since built a three-pillar product portfolio: Kisima Pure Drinking Water (bulk bottles in 6L-20L sizes purified through a five-step process including activated sand filtration, activated carbon, reverse osmosis, UV, and ozonation, then mineral-balanced), KisCafe (commercial coffee and tea vending machines, ingredients, and accessories for workplace deployment), and Aquatec (bottle-less point-of-use water purifiers such as the CP910 and Eevo models with multi-stage RO/UV filtration offered via purchase or lease).
The company sources from natural underground aquifers with near-perfect mineral characteristics, operates a production facility with capacity up to 200,000 liters per day, and runs a fleet of more than 30 delivery trucks on a six-day, route-based schedule with free delivery across Dar es Salaam and nationwide reach via upcountry depots and agents. Quality is formalized via ISO 9001:2015 and TBS certification, with water tested three times daily.
Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring and transactional streams: bottled water refill subscriptions, dispenser and vending machine rentals with Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC), outright hardware sales (dispensers, Aquatec units, accessories), consumables (coffee beans, premix powders, cups, sugar), and service/maintenance fees. The customer base spans 500+ businesses nationwide (including named enterprise logos in banking, logistics, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, and aviation), households across Dar es Salaam, and a retail/distribution network. The company employs more than 150 professionals and operates a direct GTM via corporate sales, phone/WhatsApp, website order forms, and route-based delivery, with a digital delivery order system that issues automated monthly statements to corporate accounts.
Kisima firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kisima
- Legal name
- Aqua Cool Ltd
- Website
- https://kisimawater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Aqua Cool Ltd (Kisima) is a Tanzanian hydration solutions provider founded in 1998, offering bulk bottled drinking water, KisCafe coffee/tea vending, and Aquatec point-of-use water purifiers to households, 500+ businesses, and institutions across Dar es Salaam and nationwide via a 30-truck delivery fleet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kisima industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bottled Water and Hydration Services
- NAICS
- Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- SIC
- Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Purified/RO Bottled Water Production (AFAFACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Kefir Production (AFAFAHAB), Water Softener, Filtration & Treatment System Installation (HSAOAAAH), Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Kisima is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dar Es Salaam
- HQ country
- Tanzania
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kisima business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Bottled Water Sales: Sale of purified drinking water in various bottle sizes (6L, 10L, 16L, 18.9L, 20L) with refill and full bottle options. Free delivery in Dar es Salaam.
- Water Dispenser Sales and Rental: Sale and rental of hot/cold water dispensers including Westpoint, Bottom Loading, and Mtungi models. Renting available with service/maintenance included.
- KisCafe Vending Machine Rental and Sales: Rental (TZS 100,000-250,000/month) and sale of coffee/tea vending machines with full service, maintenance, and ingredient supply. Also outright purchase option with AMC.
- Vending Machine Ingredients: Supply of compatible premix ingredients including coffee beans, premix powders, milk powder, tea premix, and hot chocolate. Sold per KG.
- Aquatec Water Purifier Sales and Leasing: Purchase or rent of bottle-less water purifiers (CP910 and Eevo models) with options for leasing including maintenance, filter changes every 6 months, and free installation.
- Accessories and Consumables: Sale of bottle racks, cup holders, disposable cups, wooden stirrers, sugar sachets, hand pumps, and electric pumps.
- Service and Maintenance (AMC): Annual maintenance contracts for dispensers and coffee machines including scheduled servicing, cleaning, repairs, and spare parts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Water bottles (6L-20L) ranging from TZS 2,500 to TZS 15,000 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Water dispensers (TZS 45,000 - TZS 555,000) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle racks and accessories (TZS 30,000 - TZS 375,000) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coffee machines with rental options (TZS 100,000 - TZS 2,500,000) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee and tea ingredients (TZS 25,000 - TZS 50,000 per KG) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Aquatec water purifiers (TZS 200,000 - TZS 500,000 purchase) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kisima product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kisima (Aqua Cool Ltd) produces and delivers purified bottled drinking water in 6L–20L sizes under the Kisima brand, sourced from natural underground streams and processed through a five-step purification system including reverse osmosis and UV. It also supplies, rents, and services KisCafe coffee and tea vending machines with compatible ingredients, and sells or leases Aquatec bottle-less water purifiers (CP910 and Eevo) for on-premise purified water, serving both corporate offices and households in Tanzania.
Product overview
Kisima (operated by Aqua Cool Ltd) is a comprehensive hydration solutions provider offering three interconnected product lines: Kisima Pure Drinking Water (bulk bottled water in 6L-20L sizes with five-step purification including RO and UV), KisCafe (commercial coffee and tea vending solutions comprising bean-to-cup and instant-premix machines, ingredients, and accessories available for purchase or rental), and Aquatec (advanced water purifiers with direct mains connection featuring multi-stage filtration and UV disinfection offered via purchase or leasing). The company operates a fleet of 30+ delivery trucks serving Dar es Salaam and beyond, with a production capacity of up to 200,000 liters per day.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kisima: Pure Drinking Water - bottled water brand sourced from underground streams with five-step purification system including activated carbon, activated sand, reverse osmosis, UV light, and sediment filtration.
- KisCafe
- Aquatec
Products and services
- Kisima Pure Drinking Water Premium bottled drinking water sourced from a natural underground stream and purified through a five-step system (Activated Sand Filter, Activated Carbon Filter, Reverse Osmosis, UV light, and sediment filtration), then mineral-balanced. Available in 6L, 10L, 16L, 18.9L, and 20L bottles with refill and full-bottle options. Delivered free across Dar es Salaam to households, offices, factories, institutions, and retailers.
- Hot and Cold Water Dispensers Range of hot and cold water dispensers including the Kisima Mtungi (manual, electricity-free), Westpoint (compressor cooled, up to 75°C hot / 6°C cold), and Bottom Loading models for homes and offices. Available for purchase and rental with maintenance service.
- KisCafe Coffee and Tea Vending Machines Commercial coffee and tea vending machines including Minifresh 4C, Minifresh 4C GD, Grande 5000, Minifresh 6500, Seymona Bean-to-Cup, Delonghi Magnifica S, and Bosch Tassimo My Way 2 (pod-based). Available for outright purchase (e.g., Delonghi at TZS 2,500,000) or monthly rental (TZS 100,000–250,000/month) with minimum spend commitments, plus full service, maintenance, and ingredient supply.
- KisCafe Vending Ingredients Compatible premix and bean ingredients for KisCafe vending machines, including premium coffee beans, instant tea, ginger tea, masala tea, cardamom tea, creamer, hot chocolate, lemon tea, and milk powder, sold per KG (TZS 25,000–50,000).
- Aquatec CP910 Water Purifier Professional-grade bottle-less water purifier with direct mains connection delivering purified hot, cold, and ambient water on demand. Features 4-stage filtration (sediment, pre-carbon, RO membrane, post-carbon), UV-C LED disinfection, 12.5L/hour capacity, 14L storage tank (3L hot, 3L cold, 8L reserve), and compact 260x450x1110mm design. Available for purchase (TZS 200,000) or rental with maintenance and filter changes included.
- Aquatec Eevo Water Purifier High-capacity bottle-less water purifier for high-traffic environments with 50L/hour capacity, 80L storage (40L cold, 40L normal), 9-stage filtration including reverse osmosis, 11W UV lamp disinfection, stainless steel piping, and touch-button interface. Ideal for offices, factories, and institutions. Available for purchase (TZS 500,000) or rental with maintenance, filter changes every 6 months, and free installation.
- Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC) and Service Plans Scheduled servicing, cleaning, repairs, and spare parts for water dispensers, KisCafe coffee machines, and Aquatec purifiers, bundled into monthly rental fees or sold as optional Annual Maintenance Contracts after purchase. Includes 6-monthly filter and membrane replacement for Aquatec units.
Quantifiable outcome
- Save up to 70% compared to bottled water with Aquatec purifiers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kisima
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kisima technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Kisima partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kisima competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dasani (The Coca-Cola Company): Multinational bottled water brand from Coca-Cola with extensive African distribution. Competes with Kisima primarily on retail shelves and modern trade; an indirect but material competitive force.
- BRITA (Brita LP): Global leader in consumer water filtration pitchers and dispensers. Adjacent to Kisima's Aquatec product line in addressing demand for plastic-free, on-tap purified water in offices and homes.
- Aquafina (PepsiCo): PepsiCo's bottled water brand sold across global markets including Africa. Comparable multinational competitor with similar packaged-water economics, exerting indirect pricing pressure on Kisima's retail channels.
- Suntory Beverages & Food: Global beverage company with bottled water and tea portfolios (including brands sold in Africa). Comparable as a broad incumbent in packaged water and hot beverage categories that overlap Kisima's water and KisCafe lines.
- Nestlé Pure Life: Global bottled water brand from Nestlé Waters, distributed across Africa including East Africa. Competes with Kisima on retail bottled water with deep marketing budgets and multinational distribution scale.
- Culligan International: Global water treatment company offering point-of-use purifiers, dispensers, and bottle-less solutions for offices. Overlaps with Kisima's Aquatec line and corporate hydration offering, though Culligan operates as a broad multi-product incumbent rather than a localized water specialist.
Regional players
- Keringet Water: Established East African bottled water brand headquartered in Kenya, serving the regional market with bottled and bulk water. Highly comparable business model and category positioning to Kisima, but operating in a different primary geography (Kenya vs. Tanzania).
- Highlands Water: Kenyan-based natural spring water producer with bottled water and dispenser offerings. Comparable product/market overlap with Kisima, with regional rather than head-to-head competition.
Direct peers
- Kilimanjaro Water: Tanzanian bottled water producer operating in the same domestic market with comparable bulk and retail SKUs. Directly competes with Kisima on shelf, delivery, and corporate accounts across Dar es Salaam and upcountry.
Emerging players
- Jibu (franchise water network): African franchise-based purified water and beverage company operating across East Africa. Comparable emerging-market hydration model with shared emphasis on local production, distribution, and franchise-style expansion, offering a useful comp on unit economics and growth path.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kisima social profiles
Digital presenceKisima financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kisima leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kisima funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kisima M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kisima
What does Kisima do?
Kisima (Aqua Cool Ltd) produces and delivers purified bottled drinking water in 6L–20L sizes under the Kisima brand, sourced from natural underground streams and processed through a five-step purification system including reverse osmosis and UV. It also supplies, rents, and services KisCafe coffee and tea vending machines with compatible ingredients, and sells or leases Aquatec bottle-less water purifiers (CP910 and Eevo) for on-premise purified water, serving both corporate offices and households in Tanzania.
Is Kisima a public or private company?
Kisima is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kisima founded?
Kisima was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kisima based?
Kisima is headquartered in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in the Africa region.
How does Kisima make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Bottled Water Sales are the primary driver. The others are water Dispenser Sales and Rental, kisCafe Vending Machine Rental and Sales, vending Machine Ingredients, aquatec Water Purifier Sales and Leasing, accessories and Consumables and service and Maintenance (AMC).
Who are Kisima's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dasani (The Coca-Cola Company), BRITA (Brita LP), Aquafina (PepsiCo), Suntory Beverages & Food, Nestlé Pure Life and Culligan International. Regional players are Keringet Water and Highlands Water. Kilimanjaro Water is listed as a direct peer. Jibu (franchise water network) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kisima have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kisima.
What industry is Kisima in?
Kisima's product category is Bottled Water and Hydration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFACAC, Purified/RO Bottled Water Production, with a secondary code of AFAFAHAB, Water Kefir Production. Its NAICS code is 312112 and its SIC code is 2086.