Upendo Honey

Organic Honey Production & Exportupendoagri.com

Upendo Honey (Third Man Ltd) is a Tanzanian agribusiness that produces and exports certified organic honey sourced from 1,400 traditional beekeepers in western Tanzania, selling B2B in bulk drums to international food importers and distributors with full farm-to-batch traceability.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersKagera, Tanzania
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

What Upendo Honey does

Upendo Honey, legally registered as Third Man Ltd, is a Tanzania-based agribusiness that produces and exports organic honey sourced from traditional beekeepers in the forests and game reserves of western Tanzania (Kigoma region). The company operates a community-based supply model, working with 1,400 registered traditional beekeepers through a network of 15 dedicated field officers who provide year-round training, quality oversight, and payment processing via m-pesa and bank transfer. Upendo pays beekeepers approximately 30% above typical farm gate prices, contributing to a reported 30% increase in beekeeper household income.

The company's product portfolio consists of two seasonal organic honey varieties—a June/July mono-floral honey from the Mnondo tree (Julbernardia globiflora) and a November/December honeydew or forest honey—both shipped in 300kg epoxy-lined food-grade drums, primarily via 20' containers to global ports. Operations are anchored by a processing facility at the Kigoma Special Economic Zone, equipped with stainless steel food-grade equipment and a stated capacity exceeding 2,000 tonnes per annum. A proprietary cloud-based system using QR code tracking links each beekeeper and bucket through to final export batches, enabling full traceability that is demanded by European and North American buyers. The company holds EU Organic, USDA NOP, FSSC 22000, B-Corp (one of only two in Tanzania), Ecovadis Silver, and HACCP certifications.

Upendo Honey generates revenue through B2B wholesale export of bulk organic honey to international importers and food distributors, with sales conducted via direct email and WhatsApp. The company claims significant social and environmental impact—56,000 tonnes of CO2 reduced annually through sustainable forest management and over 50% women employed in its processing facility—and is positioned as the largest private sector employer in the Kigoma region. It is led by a three-person Board of Directors (Isabell von Oertzen, Arno Rohwedder, and Alex Chetkovich) with combined 35 years of Sub-Saharan Africa experience.

Upendo Honey firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Upendo Honey
Legal name: Third Man Ltd
Website: https://upendoagri.com
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Upendo Honey (Third Man Ltd) is a Tanzanian agribusiness that produces and exports certified organic honey sourced from 1,400 traditional beekeepers in western Tanzania, selling B2B in bulk drums to international food importers and distributors with full farm-to-batch traceability.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Upendo Honey industry classification

Industry

Product category: Organic Honey Production & Export
NAICS: Apiculture (11291)
akta.pro primary industry: Honey Production & Extraction (AFAEAHAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling (AFAEAHAL), Beeswax Production & Processing (AFAEAHAB), Organic Apiculture (Beekeeping) (AFAEAMAG)

Keywords

Organic honey export
Tanzanian honey production
Sustainable beekeeping
Organic food certification
Honey wholesale supply

Where Upendo Honey is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Kagera
HQ country: Tanzania
HQ region: Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

Upendo Honey business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Organic Honey Export Sales: B2B wholesale of organic honey to international buyers. Product shipped in 300kg food-grade drums (new epoxy lined) via 20' containers to global ports, with smaller airfreight shipments available. Two seasonal varieties: June/July mono-floral Mnondo tree honey and November/December honeydew/forest honey.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Upendo Honey product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Upendo Honey produces and exports certified organic Tanzanian honey sourced from 1,400 traditional beekeepers in western Tanzania's gazetted forests and game reserves. The honey is processed at a Kigoma facility and sold internationally in 300kg new epoxy-lined food-grade drums via 20' containers (and airfreight for smaller volumes), with two seasonal varieties: June/July mono-floral Mnondo tree honey and November/December honeydew/forest honey.

Product overview

Upendo Honey is a single-product company offering organic honey sourced from traditional beekeepers in Tanzania's forests. The company provides two seasonal honey varieties: June/July Harvest (mono-floral Mnondo tree honey with specific Pfund and F/G ratios) and November/December Harvest (honeydew/forest honey with different viscosity characteristics). Both products are shipped in 300kg food-grade drums for export, with full traceability from beekeeper to batch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

June/July Harvest Honey Mono-floral organic honey harvested from the Mnondo tree (Julbernardia globiflora), typically available in June/July, with Pfund 70-90mm and F/G Ratio 1.15-1.25. Shipped in 300kg new epoxy-lined food-grade drums to international buyers.
November/December Harvest Honey Honeydew or forest honey harvested in November/December, with Pfund >150mm and F/G Ratio 1.4-1.6. Shipped in 300kg new epoxy-lined food-grade drums to international buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

30% income increase for beekeepers (30% above typical farm gate price)
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Upendo Honey

Customer profile

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Upendo Honey technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Upendo Honey partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Upendo Honey competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Capilano Honey: Australia's largest honey packer, exporting bulk and branded honey globally. Comparable as a scaled, export-oriented honey company with established international buyer relationships.
Rowse Honey: UK-based premium honey brand sourcing from multiple origins globally for retail and foodservice. Comparable as a brand-led buyer of bulk certified organic honey for retail distribution.
Dabur Honey: India's largest packaged honey brand, exporting globally and competing in the value and mid-premium organic honey segments. Comparable as a scaled international honey exporter with brand reach.
Barkman Honey: One of North America's largest honey packers, supplying retail and foodservice with traceable, certified honey. Comparable as a bulk, traceable, certified honey exporter to major retail and B2B customers.
Comvita: New Zealand-headquartered global honey and bee-products company with certified organic ranges and international distribution. Comparable as a large, certified, export-focused organic honey incumbent.

Direct peers

Nature Nate's: US-based certified organic, raw honey brand with retail distribution across North America. Comparable as a certified-organic honey brand competing for similar health-conscious consumer buyers.
Heavenly Organics: US/India-based brand specialising in certified organic, raw, single-origin honey. Comparable as a premium, certified organic honey brand serving similar health-conscious and specialty retail buyers.
YS Organic Bee Farms: US-based organic honey producer and brand with certified organic, raw honey positioning. Comparable as a certified organic honey seller targeting health-conscious and premium retail buyers.
Wedderspoon Organic: Premium organic and Manuka honey brand selling into US and international markets with strong traceability and certification positioning. Comparable in product positioning and end-buyer focus.
Honey Care Africa: Kenya-based social enterprise that sources organic honey from smallholder beekeepers across East Africa and sells to international buyers. Closest direct analogue in geography, model, and customer base to Upendo Honey.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Upendo Honey compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance6 records

Upendo Honey financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Upendo Honey leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Upendo Honey funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

Upendo Honey M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Upendo Honey

What does Upendo Honey do?

Is Upendo Honey a public or private company?

Upendo Honey is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was Upendo Honey founded?

Upendo Honey was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Upendo Honey based?

Upendo Honey is headquartered in Kagera, Tanzania, in the Africa region.

How does Upendo Honey make money?

One revenue line is on record: organic Honey Export Sales.

Who are Upendo Honey's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Capilano Honey, Rowse Honey, Dabur Honey, Barkman Honey and Comvita. Direct peers are Nature Nate's, Heavenly Organics, YS Organic Bee Farms, Wedderspoon Organic and Honey Care Africa.

Does Upendo Honey have an API?

No public API is recorded for Upendo Honey.

What industry is Upendo Honey in?

Upendo Honey's product category is Organic Honey Production & Export. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAHAA, Honey Production & Extraction, with a secondary code of AFAEAHAL, Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling. Its NAICS code is 11291.