February 24, 2025
For centuries the Kaskazi and Kusini trade winds – the northeast and southwest monsoon winds – have drawn travellers from all over the world to Unguja – the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago – strategically located in the Indian Ocean, off shore from Tanzania. As early as the 9th century, the prevailing winds – critical for maritime trade – ensured a constant trade between the archipelago, the African mainland, Persia, the Arabian peninsula and India. It was under the Omani rule in the mid 1600s that Zanzibar truly developed as a trade hub, dealing primarily in the enslaved, ivory, and spices – especially cloves.
Over 350 years later and it is the same trade winds that attracted two young Dutch adventurers. Travelling the African continent, not in search of merchantry, but for a unique spot where they could launch their kites from and surf the waves.
It’s 2006 and their search comes to an end.
At the time, Zanzibar’s tourism industry was mostly known as a romantic honeymoon destination, offering high – end resorts on its paradise-like beaches. Compared to the North of the island where the tourism industry initially developed, Paje beach was rather untouched and unexplored, with a handful of laid back lodges scattered along two kilometers of white beach. Some hotels neglected and abandoned, once built and never occupied – others actively running and welcoming independent travellers – in strong contrast to the luxury all inclusive hotels up north.
”We believe travel is meant to educate both travellers and local communities, and this has been the red thread throughout our entrepreneurship.’’
– Melanie, cofounder Kite Centre Zanzibar & Mr. Kahawa
Melanie recalls her first arrival on the island 18 years ago as if it were yesterday: ‘’Dim and I were in search of the best kitesurf locations, and arriving on Zanzibar we immediately fell in love with its nature, the still untouched beaches, the cultural heritage but mostly the welcoming people, their kindness and relaxed attitude. As active, curious and conscious travellers ourselves, we strived to create an inclusive place, with a slow tourism approach. We believe travel is meant to educate both travellers and local communities, and this has been the red thread throughout our entrepreneurship.’’
In 2007 Melanie and Dim officially opened Kite Centre Zanzibar – the first kitesurf school in the south east coast of Zanzibar. A unique kitesurf location, with two windy seasons, a shallow lagoon perfect for beginners and waves at the reef for the experienced kitesurfer. What began as a small wooden shack with a couple of kites, turned into the leading kitesurf school in Zanzibar, with 10 IKO-certified (the world’s largest International Kiteboarding Organization) instructors and the newest kitesurfing and wing foiling equipment of Duotone – the market leader in water sports equipment
Paje began to attract more travellers in search of the wind and warm and turquoise waters, some travellers not even knowing it was the wind they were looking for – 50% of the clients decide on the spot they want to do an introduction course and book last minute at Kite Centre Zanzibar. The island’s kite surf community rapidly developed and this came with new needs. The East African coast and its islands have a rich local food culture with influences mostly from African, Arabic and Indian cuisine – a spicy Zanzibar chai can really lift up your spirits, a fresh and flaky chapati may be the best flatbread you will ever eat especially when dipped in a spicy seafood masala. But us humans tend to long for what we know and what we are used to. With Melanie and Dim coming from the Netherlands – among the top five coffee consuming countries – and with the clientele of Kite Centre Zanzibar mainly originating from Europe, the need for specialty coffee became pressing. And what do you do if no place in the area can fulfil your coffee needs? You open a coffee shop yourself, and what is a better spot than in the middle of a pristine beach and in the centre of a famous kite hub? At least that’s what the strategic mind of Dim thought.
Arabica coffee beans sourced from the Utengule coffee roastery in Tanzania, fresh sourdough bread and pastries, healthy food and delights, free public Wi-Fi and the opportunity to connect with people – these are the key elements of Mr. Kahawa until today.
‘Kahawa’ in Kiswahili originates from ‘qahwa’ in Arabic and means… Coffee! And with quality coffee and true soul food being one of the main pillars, Mr. Kahawa was born, opening its doors on December 15th, 2014 in the centre of Paje beach. Arabica coffee beans sourced from the Utengule coffee roastery in Tanzania, fresh sourdough bread and pastries, healthy food and delights, free public Wi-Fi and the opportunity to connect with people – these are the key elements of Mr. Kahawa until today. It was the first coffee shop in the area, with self-service and opening hours from 8 am until 5 pm.
After five successful seasons thanks to a solid team – of whom many still work at Mr. Kahawa today – it was time for the next step. In 2017 Dim (an industrial designer), designed the three traditionally Swahili Ocean View Lofts , and were built right above the coffee shop, overseeing the ever changing tides of the Indian Ocean and the by now bustling Paje starting to become a famous African holiday and kitesurf destination. One season further and the Kite Centre was rebuilt, with a fourth room on top – the Ocean View Suite with a private outdoor lounge, the perfect spot for celebrating life while gazing at the colourful kites that brightened Paje’s sky’s more and more.
However, despite having rooms, the coffee shop was still closing at 5 pm and only served breakfast, lunch and no alcoholic beverages. Guests were provided with a custom made restaurant guide of the area. It was only in 2018 that Mr. Kahawa reinvented itself, invested in the kitchen, in a new head chef and developed a unique dinner concept. Imagine your flavour palette being triggered with Zanzibar’s local cuisine, fused with innovative flavour combinations? Every day at 2 pm the head chef would come in, check on the availability of products and together with the management they would carefully curate a dinner menu, with different options every single day. ‘’One of the highlights of my career in Zanzibar has been to observe the process of the creative development of the chefs,’’ explains Sharida, who has been employed in the food and beverage department of Mr. Kahawa since 2016. ’’We like to think outside the box, and it is hard to find local chefs who share that kind of thinking. Initially I created the dinner menus, but over time it turned into a more equal collaboration, as the chefs started to understand the concept. They started to come up with new ideas and creative menu creations were flowing.’’
Daudi, the then head chef of Mr. Kahawa had more experience in the hotel industry than his colleagues, who were self taught cooks out of the neighbouring villages or Stone Town, Zanzibar’s capital. Sharida explains further: ‘’Daudi did an outstanding job passing through his knowledge to the team, and we were able to not only serve refined food during evening hours, but he also enhanced the quality of the rest of our menu.’’ Daudi left Mr. Kahawa after two seasons, but by that time his creativity had already affected chef Ally, from the neighbouring fisherman’s village Jambiani. He has been working at Mr. Kahawa since the opening in 2014 and creatively combined countless flavours since, until today.
The uplifted concept of Mr. Kahawa was a success, with covers from 8 in the morning until 10 in the evening. But it’s not the quantity that the team was striving for. The growth had been natural, and with a serious increase of travellers visiting Paje, a lack of infrastructure, technology – and let’s be honest, sometimes also a lack of planning – the team behind Mr. Kahawa faced moments where they felt they were drowning in their success. ‘’Queues of people stretching from the counter down the beach, orders taking up to 2 hours even though the kitchen was running on full speed, waiters shouting order numbers over the terrace, guests being under time pressure because they had to start their kite lesson – peak season could be chaos,’’ Conny – the general director and involved in the business since 2015 – reflects, thinking back to her first years.
But on January 1st 2020, Conny and Sharida calmly stand in the middle of Mr. Kahawa, proudly observing how smoothly the busiest day of the past year – and busiest day ever, for that matter – is flowing, remembering where it all started, and and reflecting on where Mr. Kahawa is today, the challenges the whole team had overcome. Not having a clue yet, how the next couple of weeks will change everything.
Tanzania, including Zanzibar, reacted rather slowly to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were barely any cases in the whole of Africa. And yet, by mid March 2020, hotels closed down, tourists and residents alike packed their bags and departed to their home countries.
The colourful kites disappeared from the sky and many local communities went back into fishing and farming activities while the global tourism industry was rapidly losing its breath.
Despite the challenges also Mr. Kahawa was facing and due to an unforeseen shift, Mr. Kahawa merged with the neighbouring hotel behind their premises in December 2020. This meant an increase of 20 rooms.
From mid 2020, slowly, the first guests were returning to Zanzibar, as Tanzania was one of the few countries worldwide that never closed its borders. Conny and Sharida remained on the island throughout this period, taking care of the operations and the small number of guests in Paje. But in December 2020 Zanzibar experienced a sudden spike of tourists who were escaping the lock downs, and the island got overwhelmed. Including Conny and Sharida who now had to run a 24-rooms hotel and café-restaurant.
Alongside the spike of tourists came a spike of investors, hungry for new business opportunities in an idyllic location free of corona restrictions. The village of Paje rapidly started to change, with new hotels, restaurants and private villas shooting out of the ground, and an infrastructure struggling to keep up with the growth and demands.
Challenges can be turned into opportunities, and with an endless amount of ideas, motivation and commitment, Mr. Kahawa extended the concept further, while fighting to stay true to its original vision, with a focus on quality rather than quantity, and emphasising on the increasing importance of slow tourism.
The rooms, reception and pool received a big makeover. Refurbished furniture by local craftsmen, artwork sourced and hand picked from East Africa, a boutique shop with carefully selected arts and crafts, spa treatments with locally produced oils and soap, and an activity desk promoting a top 10 of eco-tours in Zanzibar – every element Mr. Kahawa offers is well thought through from beginning till end.
In 2021, Mr. Kahawa started selling alcohol and opened a cocktail bar serving signature cocktails with locally crafted spirits. With about ten events each month – free entrance! – Mr. Kahawa proudly supports and promotes the African and Zanzibar’s music industry and local craftsmanship, offering a stage for regional talents.
And on December 15 2024, exactly a decade after Mr. Kahawa opened its iconic wooden dhow doors, Melanie the founder is surrounded by family, friends, guests, residents, an incredibly hard working team that grew from 7 to 80 people throughout the years, and with Dim, Conny and Sharida, shyly standing next to her at Mr. Kahawa’s 10th anniversary celebration. ‘’This is not a speech. Dim, Conny, and Sharida would never forgive me if I wrote one. No, this is a very true story, a wonderful tale’’, she starts her… speech!
With tears in her eyes and a broad smile, being the focus point of over a hundred people, she continues: ‘’Mr. Kahawa reflects the experiences of our guests, crafted daily by our dedicated staff, the true HEROES in this story. From serving exquisite lattes, baking fresh bread and desserts, mixing cocktails, to preparing spotless rooms for arriving guests, they bring joy and warmth to every visitor. Your holiday begins with a friendly welcome from our receptionists, who also lead your way on the island. ‘’
Melanie could not have closed her ‘speech’ with more truthful and meaningful words: ‘’Today, Mr. Kahawa’s guiding phrase resonates deeply: “When you like, you stay; When you love, you return.” On this day, we feel surrounded by love, as so many of you have returned to celebrate our 10th anniversary with us. We thank each of you deeply for being your part in our story.’’
