Can 'Made in Africa' cigars compete with Cuba?

The Lebanese former banker glanced at a customer puffing at what looked like an imported cigar and thought:"What's wrong with Africa producing cigars?"

"Africa has been growing tobacco for 100 years," Moukheiber, 50, told Reuters. We have the land, we have the water, we have the skill set. So what's missing?" His business, Bongani Cigars - it means"be grateful" in Zulu - was conceived as a small, fun project. Now it produces nearly 10,000 cigars a month, small numbers compared to the big producers. It sells in South Africa, Kenya and Mozambique, where some of its tobacco is grown.

Moukheiber said Bongani would launch in Nigeria this year and, he hoped, the United Kingdom, and aims to be the cigar of choice for African professionals who want to flaunt their wealth or success. "A cigar is ... just like champagne, just like some wines. It's about the message," he said."By smoking a Bongani you are communicating ... your African identity."

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