10 Years of fairafric

Foreword Hendrik

On March 22, 2016, our first Kickstarter campaign went live. Chocolate "Made in Africa" was considered a crazy idea by many at the time.

Almost a month later, exactly 10 years ago today, fairafric GmbH was founded. The Kickstarter campaign was a complete success: 843 people had ordered chocolate, even though they didn't know what it would taste like – or if it would ever be produced at all.

I started with €25,000, which had been generated by the pre-orders.

Today, 10 years later, we are on our way to nearly €8 million in annual revenue and employ more than 300 people in Ghana. Additionally, many more jobs have been created along the value chain.

When I look back on it, I am one thing above all: incredibly grateful. And that is exactly why I want to share 10 highlights from the wildest 10 years of my life with you today.

Enjoy reading!
Your Hendrik

Hendrik Reimers Founder & CEO fairafric

10 years of fairafric

Our first bars from 2016 look very different from our designs today. But it’s not just our packaging that has changed.

We have grown:

in production capacity
in the team
in experience
in professionalism
and in our self-confidence

What began small is today a company with real impact.

10 highlights from 10 wild years

1. The people in Ghana

The most beautiful part of this journey is meeting the people in Ghana.

Their warmth, helpfulness, and zest for life define fairafric to this day – and far beyond the work environment.

Whether on the farms, in the factory, in the village, or in our daily interactions: we repeatedly experience an openness, sense of community, and positive energy that is inspiring.

Many challenges could only be overcome because people stuck together, pitched in, and believed in the shared vision.

Without these people, fairafric would not be what it is today.

2. Meeting the President of Ghana

Our founder had the privilege of meeting the President of Ghana twice and speaking about our vision in front of over 20 African heads of state.

What once began as a bold idea was suddenly being discussed at the highest political level – a special moment for fairafric and a strong sign that new paths can create attention.

And incidentally, it was probably the first time we saw our founder in a suit on stage.

3. Building our factory in record time

One of the most extraordinary moments in our history was building our factory in rural Ghana.

During the Covid era, we built a state-of-the-art chocolate factory in less than six months – equipped with specialized machines from Europe.

Particularly remarkable: The factory was built in a place that previously had neither electricity, water, nor internet.

Where there was barely any infrastructure before, a modern production site emerged step by step with international standards, qualified jobs, and new prospects for the region.

For us, it remains a symbol of what is possible when vision meets determination.

4. Special permit during Corona

To complete our factory during the Corona period, engineers urgently needed to travel from Europe to Ghana to install and commission the high-tech production equipment.

At that time, borders were closed and international travel was almost completely halted.

Following our request, a special permit was granted – the airport in Accra was specifically opened for this arrival.

For our team, this was an unforgettable moment. Landing at an almost empty airport, in the midst of a global state of emergency, felt surreal.

But it also showed how much trust and support was placed in our project – and how determined everyone involved was to make this factory a reality.

5. TV documentaries & attention

Our story has also generated attention far beyond the chocolate industry in recent years.

Several TV formats and media reports covered our unusual path: producing chocolate where cocoa grows, creating value in the country of origin, and rethinking global supply chains.

One broadcast on German television stands out in our memory. Shortly after the show aired, our website crashed due to the enormous surge in visitors – a problem we were honestly very happy about at that moment.

Another highlight was our documentary Decolonize Chocolate (go to the documentary here 🎥), where we were able to show more deeply why the chocolate industry was historically set up the way it is today – and why it is time to create new models.

For us, such formats are about much more than just reach. They help spark discussions, raise awareness, and show that business can also work differently.

6. 🌍 The ripple effect

Today, we already employ more than 300 people in Ghana – in addition to many more jobs along our value chain.

But the actual effect goes much further.

Jobs create income. Income creates stability. Stability creates new opportunities.

We have seen how employees use their income to support families, send children to school, build houses, or pursue further education.

It was particularly moving for us to see that some team members even set up their own small businesses – and in turn created new jobs for others.

That is exactly the ripple effect we believed in from the very beginning:

When value creation happens locally, opportunities arise that extend far beyond a single company.

7. 💛 Over €10 million in support from the crowd

Our customers have supported fairafric not just through their purchases, but have actively helped build and finance the company.

Over the years, more than €10 million has been raised from our community – from people who believed in our vision and made it possible.

That is something very special.

Because that means fairafric is not owned by an international hedge fund or an anonymous major investor, but by a community of people who believe that business can be fairer, more sustainable, and work on equal footing.

Every contribution was more than just capital – it was a vote of confidence in a better way of building companies.

8. 🚌 The Farm-to-Factory Tour

Every year, thousands of people visit our farms and our factory to experience firsthand how chocolate can be produced differently.

The demand is high, and the enthusiasm is palpable every time. Many guests come with curiosity – and leave with a completely new view of chocolate and global value creation.

From school classes to international guests and our cocoa-farming families: The Farm-to-Factory Tour takes people directly to where cocoa is grown and chocolate is made.

In this form, the experience is almost unique: first the farm, then the factory, then the finished product in your hand.

It shows transparently how value creation works in the country of origin, creates understanding for our work, and connects people with the stories behind every chocolate bar. (go to the tour on our Ghanaian website here 🇬🇭)

9. 🌱 Dynamic Agroforestry

What began as a fight against poverty has grown into something even bigger over the years.

Our original goal was to create more value in the country of origin, build good jobs, and enable new economic prospects.

Along the way, we realized that the method of cocoa cultivation also plays a decisive role for the future.

With cocoa from dynamic agroforestry systems, we are committed to cultivation methods where cocoa trees grow alongside many other plants, trees, and natural structures. This strengthens the soil, protects biodiversity, and makes farmland more resilient.

Particularly exciting for us: through these systems, more CO₂ can be sequestered in the soil and vegetation than we emit along our value chain.

This means our social mission has also become an ecological one.

Our goal today is clear: to make chocolate not just fairer, but climate-positive. (learn more about our Road to Climate Positive here 🌍)

10. Our Crowd

More than 3,500 people have provided financial support to fairafric over the past few years. Thousands more support our mission with every single purchase.

That is by no means something to be taken for granted.

While many companies are built by traditional investors, funds, or banks, fairafric has been sustained by a community that believes in a different way of doing business.

People who are convinced that high-quality products, economic success, and positive impact go hand in hand.

This crowd has helped us grow at decisive moments, overcome crises, build our factory, and open new chapters.

It has shown that trust, community, and shared values can unleash enormous power.

Without these people, fairafric would not exist.

And that is precisely why, in a certain way, fairafric belongs to everyone who believes in this idea and supports it.

As a small thank you, we are celebrating with you: 10% anniversary discount with the code 10YEARS.

Our mission today: Chocolate with a clear conscience

Today, our mission is stronger than ever.

Our goal is simple:

To produce chocolate with a clear conscience.

For us, that means:

Good for you – better chocolate for consumers.
Good for the people – more value creation at the source and for cocoa farmers
Good for the planet – making chocolate climate-positive.

Because great chocolate should not be created at the expense of people or nature.

Looking back makes us proud, grateful, and also humble.

We could barely have imagined back then what could be created from nothing in ten years.

A crazy idea became a company.
A few hundred pre-orders became hundreds of jobs.
A dream became reality.

And yet, we feel:

We are only just beginning.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. ❤️

To the first 10 years.
And to the next 10 years.