Sahambavy: Madagascar's only tea plantation...

Madagascar is not known as a tea-drinking nation, with only 20% of Sahambavy’s tea production catering to local demand. However, this single plantation produces high-quality tea that exports well. Visiting this tea estate is a unique and enriching experience during a trip to Madagascar!

A lush green oasis 20 Kilometers from Fianarantsoa

As with many beautiful places in Madagascar, getting to Sahambavy is no easy feat. A 20-kilometer dirt road east of Fianarantsoa leads to the plantation. While it’s not an extreme route, only skilled drivers can navigate it confidently. 

The sight of the trucks transporting tea leaves is truly impressive! As you approach the tea estate, the scenery shifts dramatically from bushland to lush green valleys that ripple like waves. 

Amid this greenery lies a tea factory facing a charming lake, bordered by stilted rooms of the Lac Hotel. But the real highlight is the hundreds of hectares of luminous green tea fields! The backdrop is equally stunning, with valleys covered in pine forests reminiscent of the Landes region in southwestern France.

A unique tea production hub

It’s astonishing that tea cultivation wasn’t seriously considered in Madagascar until the 1970s. In fact, the first attempts to transplant tea cuttings (brought from Kenya) were made in 1970, specifically in Sahambavy. The Malagasy government established the first tea factory there in 1978, and the plantation was privatized in 1996 when Mauritian investors acquired two-thirds of the capital. 

Here, 20 tons of tea leaves are hand-picked daily by around 250 women, each collecting 50 to 100 kilograms for a daily wage of approximately 2 euros. The name Sahambavy, meaning "the women’s field" in Malagasy, is fitting! 

The leaves are spread out on large horizontal dryers for withering before undergoing several processing stages in the factory:

•         Crushing/Rolling
•         Fermentation (oxidation)
•         Drying/Roasting
•         Filtering and Packaging

Eighty percent of Sahambavy’s production is exported to Mombasa, Kenya, one of the world’s largest tea markets.

A tea with character

During the filtering process, tea is sorted using large mechanized sieves. An electrostatic defibration process distinguishes between grades such as Dust, Pekoedust, Pekoefannings, and Broken Pekoe. The air inside the factory is heavy with the pronounced astringency and sharp acidity of Sahambavy tea, creating an unforgettable aroma. 

At the end of the visit, you’ll have the chance to taste this robust tea, reminiscent of traditional English tea. Adding a splash of milk and sugar can soften its bold flavor. For a smoother, more balanced tea, try Madagascar’s vanilla-infused tea—a true delight!