Who we Are
Third Man Ltd is a social impact organic honey company based in Kigoma, Tanzania. We are the second largest organic honey producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.Export locations are EU, US, Mid-East and other countries in Africa.Certified: EU/USDA NOP Organic, FSSC 22000, and Kosher with 2021 Production at 450T, 2022 projected to be 900T and 2023 at 1,200T.We are aggregating and adding value to production from traditional beekeepers.We are currently working with over 3,500 beekeepers with targets of 5,000 by 2023.We have 100 employees with 3 Founding Partners.Providing bulk honey in drums, IBC tanks, and retail/catering packaged solutions (both white label and own branded).
Why Tanzania? Why Honey?
Tanzania, especially the more remote western part is still endowed with large areas of pristine forest, ideal for the collection of forest honey. By creating a stable economy around honey, we can directly contribute to the conservation of these large forest areas.
We started the company after seeing that the existing markets for beekeepers were rife with problems. Uncertainty, non-payment, poor terms, and low pricing are common issues faced by traditional beekeepers in Tanzania. By accessing export markets through Organic certification and higher quality standards, we are able to provide a stable market, transparency, and significantly increased farm gate prices for the beekeepers. So far, we have been able to increase the price for honey for our 3,500 registered beekeepers in Western Tanzania by 30%. Providing them with access to equipment and training in the process.
Our day to day leadership team is comprised of Isabell von Oertzen, Arno Rohwedder and Alex Chetkovich. Our combined 35 years of experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa has helped us to navigate many of the problems that most agricultural companies face in Africa. Isabell, Arno and Alex comprise the company’s Board of Directors.