Cynthia Naylah Irandu
African Originals, Kenyan Craft Brewer, Sets Sights on East Africa Expansion
Back in 2015, Alexandra Chappate, now the CEO and founder of African Originals, noticed a big gap in Africa’s drinks industry. While working as the head of marketing for Pernod Ricard in West Africa, she saw a clear demand for premium products but realized most options were either expensive imports or cheap local drinks with no real story behind them.
When she moved to Kenya eight years ago, she decided to bridge that gap by launching African Originals — a craft beverage company behind brands like Kenyan Originals, African Originals, and 5.8 Spirits. The goal was simple: create quality, locally inspired drinks that celebrate modern Kenyan identity while sitting in an affordable “sweet spot” between low-end and imported products.
To stay connected with its audience — mostly young, middle-class Kenyans aged 25-35 — the company runs all its marketing and activations in-house, working with over 200 brand ambassadors.
The growth has been impressive:
- $3M in sales in 2022
- $7M in 2023
- $10M in 2024
They’re targeting $12M by the end of 2025.
African Originals has also expanded distribution by partnering with external distributors and growing its reach from 5,000 outlets toward a goal of 20,000 within three years. In February, they launched in Uganda and are eyeing wider East African markets next.
Despite raising around $10M since inception — including $2M last year from Phoenix Beverages of Mauritius — scaling hasn’t been easy, especially as a manufacturing startup in the alcohol space, which excludes them from many impact funding opportunities.
Competition is heating up, with giants like EABL and emerging startups entering the craft beverage scene. But Chappate believes African Originals’ edge lies in capturing the hearts of urban youth and reflecting modern Kenyan culture in every sip.
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