New Orleans — Uganda’s coffee and fashion industries will take center stage at the 37th Annual Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Convention in New Orleans, following a new partnership between Inspire Africa Group (IAG) and ARAPAPA by Santa Anzo.
The collaboration, announced on August 28, 2025, will see Uganda’s top coffee enterprise join forces with the country’s premier fashion house for a cultural showcase under the theme “Brewed in Uganda, Styled for the World.”
The initiative aims to expand Uganda’s coffee footprint in the U.S. market by blending fashion, cultural storytelling, and celebrity influence. Inspire Africa Group, which has set a bold target of growing Uganda’s coffee revenues from USD 2 billion to USD 5 billion within five years, says this fusion of coffee and couture is a fresh way to market the country as both a coffee and fashion tourism destination.
“In the same way Gulf countries have used sports diplomacy, Uganda can use fashion diplomacy to rebrand itself globally,” the group said in a statement.
The partnership, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding, will see Inspire Africa support the ARAPAPA Fashion Showcase — a headline event at the UNAA Convention. Curated by fashion icon Santa Anzo, the show will feature a limited-edition collection inspired by Ugandan coffee culture, as well as designs that blend the earthy tones and textures of coffee with couture.
Santa Anzo, who has championed Ugandan fashion for over two decades, described the collaboration as a celebration of identity, heritage, and global pride. ARAPAPA has previously graced prestigious international runways, positioning Uganda as a creative hub.
For Inspire Africa, the showcase is part of a wider agenda that includes the development of the Africa Coffee Park in Ntungamo District — a 150-acre complex featuring the region’s largest coffee processing plant, a sports arena, a convention center, and a coffee academy.
Organizers say the UNAA 2025 showcase is only the beginning, with both Inspire Africa and ARAPAPA envisioning long-term campaigns that link coffee, fashion, and tourism as a package to sell Uganda to the world.
The UNAA Convention, running from August 29 to September 1, is expected to draw thousands of Ugandans in the diaspora and international guests.