Great Lake Plantations (GLP) is an agri business based out of Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a subsidiary of M.K Shah Exports Ltd., one of India’s largest exporters of premium quality Orthodox teas.

The tea industry’s roots in Congo can be traced back to the 1940’s, when erstwhile Belgian Congo introduced the crop to the region. The Belgian company- Sipef was instrumental in the rise of tea plantations, giving the industry a nation wide push that resounded in the economies of Rwanda and Burundi, reaching as far as South Africa.

The tea trade flourished through the 60’s, as Congo became a popular exporter for black CTC teas. Unfortunately, the newly independent Democratic Republic of Congo was too volatile to sustain this growth. Post 1970, years of civil unrest led to the economic stagnation of the region. In the 1980’s, a steep decline in the crop’s output paved way for a halting crash by the late 90’s.

Eventually, Sipef gave up control of the estate and wound up their activities in the region. For a long time, M’bayo remained an abandoned property. Its beautiful tea bushes grew wild, some even reaching as tall as 20 feet. In early 2000, a local Congolese businessman along with a couple of Belgian expats purchased the property from Sipef in the hopes of bringing it back to its former glory.

Though the estate was gradually made functional again, things did not truly pick up due to a variety of reasons ranging from a lack of tea-specific expertise to inadequate investment in factory and modern machinery.

In 2014, the owners decided to sell off their stake in the tea plantation when approached by MK Shah Exports Limited. Subsequently, Great Lakes Plantations SARL (GLP) was formally established in January 2014, by Mr. Jaydeep Shah, the 3rd generation of the M.K. Shah family, and son of Mr. Himanshu Shah.

On 1st of February 2014, GLP formally purchased M’bayo and Madaga tea factories and estate. Within the 1st year of acquisition the estates witnessed a plethora of changes. All the abandoned sections were pruned and opened up for regular rounds of plucking. The tea factory was modernized and new ‘jumbo’ withering troughs, CTC manufacturing lines and ‘VFBD’ driers were installed.

With the last remaining dregs of neglect done and dusted, the ramshackle estate was beginning to regain its formal glory. As of today, M’bayo Tea Estate stands as the only modernized tea producing unit in DRC, having obtained certificates of international standardization such as ISO 22000 and HACCP (Food Safety Standard).

With M'bayo's factories restored and crops resuscitated, GLP's next move was to focus on management. Training camps were set up under the careful guidance of Mr. Raj Berry, an industry veteran and the Executive Director of MK Shah Exports Limited. The team of Indian executives along with the help of their Congolese counterparts was able to double the crop of the estate within the 1st year itself.

As of 2017, M'bayo pioneered as the first tea estate manufacturing premium quality Orthodox tea in the region. Along with tea, GLP has approximately 200 ha under Cinchona plantation and recently commenced it’s commercial trading. Pharmaceutical companies use cinchona’s bark to extract ‘Quinine’, which is an active ingredient in anti malarial drugs.

The company’s steady growth directly correlates to further economic stabilization in the region. GLP’s foundations are firmly rooted in the idea of "Par le Congo, Pour le Congo". Their aim is to introduce Congo to premium quality agricultural produce manufactured for their people and by their people.

GLP aims to establish a Farmer's Co-operative in and around M'bayo Tea Estate. This would provide a reliable source of income to thousands of local families as well as encourage kinship by truly making the company Pour le Congo, Par le Congo.