Brewing Success: How African Originals Unlocked Growth with Jia’s Invoice Financing and Turned Craft Beverages to Cash Flow
This article is part of a series spotlighting local partners providing valuable services in their communities, powered by Jia’s financing.
Partnership Spotlight: African Originals
Kenya’s craft beverage scene may be bubbling over today, but in 2018, it was still finding its flavor. That’s when African Originals, founded by beverage industry veteran Alexandra Chappatte, entered the market, shaking things up with originally crafted products made from locally sourced ingredients. From day one, African Originals was all about brewing opportunities, bringing Kenyan flavors to the forefront of the craft beverage industry.
African Originals’ unique offerings, like passion & lime cider and turmeric & chili tonic, combined with strict quality control through a vertically integrated business model, quickly earned the brand a loyal following. Yet even with this early success, African Originals struggled to tap into the capital they needed. Traditional lenders were hesitant, focusing on sky-high profits and long-term banking relationships. Alexandra was faced with a tough decision: should she dilute her ownership to raise funds, or was there another way to keep the business pouring forward?
That’s where Jia stepped in, offering a solution as refreshing as a chilled bottle of mango & chili cider on a sunny Nairobi afternoon. With our invoice financing product, we helped African Originals unlock working capital that was tied up in receivables — enabling them to grow sip by sip. Here’s how it works:
Borrowers submit invoices directly to our online portal. If approved for financing, Jia immediately advances the invoice amount minus a percentage taken as an origination fee. Borrowers then have an agreed-upon time for repayment, with consistent on-time payments rewarded with even better terms and rates.
African Originals was able to leverage Jia’s invoice financing to bypass the outdated rules of traditional lenders, access immediate capital, and deploy it swiftly to fuel their rapid growth. Instead of waiting on retailers and other supply chain players to make payments, African Originals capitalized on the cash flow to move quickly in the market. This strategic move allowed them to establish themselves as one of the premier craft beverage brands in the nation. It’s clear that when it comes to success, African Originals is brewing up something special — sip by sip.
“Invoice financing is absolutely critical to be able to unlock the opportunities in terms of working capital for us,” said Alexandra Chappatte, Founder and CEO of African Originals.
“Jia has empowered our company’s expansion in so many ways, but the speed of growth is at the top of the list. We’ve delivered close to 200% growth last year, and without Jia, we wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
This month, Jia’s collaboration with African Originals crossed a significant milestone, facilitating over $1M in originations! It’s a partnership that continues to bear fruit — or should we say, brew success? With Jia’s support, African Originals is not just surviving but thriving, one bottle at a time.
As we look to the future, we’re excited to keep raising the bar for our partners, ensuring that they have the capital they need to keep brewing opportunities and fueling their growth. You can learn more about Jia’s collaboration with African Originals here or apply for invoice financing through our online portal.
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About Jia: Jia is a fintech that offers invoice financing, allowing businesses to unlock capital by turning their receivables into cash quickly. Jia provides competitive rates, flexible payment terms, and fast capital access, enabling businesses to accelerate cash flow and growth. Jia’s services include invoice factoring, inventory financing, and supply chain financing, tailored to meet various business needs. Learn more at https://www.jiafinance.co.ke/.
About African Originals: African Originals was founded in 2018 with the mission to build truly authentic craft beverage products. They own 3 brands — 5.8 Gin, Kenyan Originals, and African Originals with a portfolio of beverages from ciders, spirits, and mixers. All are made with real local ingredients and processed fresh at their site in Baba Dogo. Shop for their products at https://shop.africanoriginals.com/.
