DJENEBA KEITA - FOOD ENTREPRENEUR, AFRICAFÉ, ABIDJAN
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Publié le
14/10/2024
THE FOODIE WITH A LOVE FOR AFRICA
Malian entrepreneur Djeneba Keita settled in Côte d’Ivoire in 2018. After a life between France and the United States, passages in England, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates, where she worked in accounting, she finally returned to the continent.
Her passions for food and hospitality gave her a new direction; Africafé (@africafeabj), her concept of a coffee shop with an African twist, quickly became a must-stop for the gourmands of Abidjan, thanks to its menu inspired by the culinary culture of the African countries, but also to her solar energy, and undeniable affability.
Djénéba immediately agreed to meet us to discuss the genesis of Africafé, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and her vision of hospitality. She shares her favorite places to eat in Abidjan and some of her favorite West African brands.
ON LOVE FOR COOKING
So, is it an interest, or did my mother force me into it? (laugh) I've been following her in the kitchen ever since I was little. Malian mother, who always had food on the table, always cooking mafé, African dishes… around 12-13 years old, I just fell into it. I've always been good at tweaking things, mixing different tastes, and trying out new dishes; I started at an early age.
"I always had this kind of creative spirit in the kitchen, but I didn’t know it would become a job."
ON BEING SPONTANEOUS & SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES
I'm a financial manager by training; I used to work in accounting, and that was my work until I discovered I had this passion, not just for cooking, but for hospitality, receiving people, and treating them well; that's where it started. I lived in Cape Verde a few years ago, and when I was there, we constantly had people over to our house. I got to try out recipes and create things, and the feedback I got from my husband and friends was always: "You should open something," and I was telling myself: "No, me? Never!". It really took an opportunity, a stroke of luck, for me to take the plunge: one day, I said to my husband, "OK, if I find the right place, well located, not too expensive, in the neighborhood I want in Praia, if I find that, I'll give it a try!".
The next day, as I was dropping my son off at the nursery, I saw "For rent." I called the number (I'm very spontaneous!), and talked with the owner. The place was good, and the rent was reasonable, so I went to collect the deposit, and that's it; I had no plan or training, but I had a place! I just threw myself into it overnight, and I don't regret it; this first Africafé was a great experience. It was hard, but it was a great experience.
It lasted two years, and when I left Cape Verde, I tried to keep it going by shuttling back and forth, but the mistake I made was that this Africafé was a reflection of me; it was my place; you went to Djene's. So, it wasn't easy for the team to keep up, and in the end, I sold it to someone who took over the business and is still running it.
ON BUILDING AFRICAFE
I am not creative, but I like to try things. I had a period where I made boubous because I love boubous. I wanted to launch a clothing brand: boubous, dresses, comfortable clothes. I launched one collection and participated in some markets. I also started making cushions in Bogolan. Then, Africafé took off a little faster than expected, so I focused on that.
I call myself the Conductor because I have trouble calling myself CEO or Managing Director, even though that's what I do. Still, I have this problem with titles: impostor syndrome. I do so many things, between strategy, development, and operations. One day, a friend told me: "You're like a conductor!". That's what I tell my team: I can do all their jobs; I've created the recipes; I've been in the kitchen, done the pastry, the service, and the cash desk. I can do it all but can't do it all simultaneously. So that's my role, to lead the orchestra.
Fortunately, I have a great team and a very low turnover, which is rare in this field where turnover is generally very high. I've had the same team since the beginning, and they know how demanding I am and how I like things to be done. I also had to learn to delegate. I have managers for each department, a chef in the kitchen, one in the dining room, and now I have an assistant who takes over the operational side of things, but I'm always there, just not as often. It allows me to focus on development because I want to create a chain of coffee shops, so I have to think about the expansion and development plan. And I'm not alone; I've got an incredible support system: my associates, family, and friends. I've got 4-5 people close to me who have invested, haven't just given money, but support me strategically on communication and finance; I always know who to call in case of question... I don't know how those who are on their own do it. I mean, you can do it alone, but we can go much further together.
"The idea for me was to create a space that resembled us, where each African could find his or her own identity, and also do it with international standards, with trends, so the idea was to be able to use our local products while remaining as authentic as possible."
ON THE AMBITION TO BUILD AN AFRICAN COFFEE SHOP
For the dishes of the day, when I say Ndolé, I'm trying to make a real Ndolé; after all, there are always those who will say that it's not like their mother's, but I'm trying to be as authentic as possible, in everything I do, and with the pastry side, always homemade with an African touch. We make offer alloco, typical African sandwiches, like the Senegalese tuna sandwich, a classic Senegalese breakfast, and the Ivorian condiment bread that I standardize by making the vegetable version: with salad, avocado, and egg. We can always argue, but the important thing was to be as authentic as possible, highlight the countries' dishes, and add a touch of originality and creativity: an African-style coffee shop.
For now, I have one space at the Ivoire Trade Center but in the long term, I want to open a second Africafé in the Plateau district. The idea is to have 3 Africafés in Abidjan and then a sub-regional development in Dakar, Cotonou. Why not? That's the dream: to have a standalone Africafé space.
I'm also trying to be sustainable in my work and collaborations. It's more expensive to have craft cardboard packaging, but it's more environmentally friendly, so yes, I'm trying. I'm not 100% there yet, but I know the impact I'd like to have. One of my goals is to get the B-Corp label one day, which means having a positive impact all along the value chain so that all stakeholders benefit, from suppliers to customers, not forgetting the employees who are my number one.
ON HER CREATION PROCESS
My gift is reproducing what I've eaten, so in general, once I've tasted something, I can replicate or remake it closely. So once I've eaten it and asked someone to show it to me, I can reproduce it and then pass it on to my cooks. Generally, when I meet someone from a country, for example, if I meet someone from the Central African Republic, I always ask, What do you eat there? What's your favorite dish? Can you make it? Can you teach me? That's how I end up in people's homes, discovering new recipes and experimenting! The Internet and YouTube are also handy. I look at recipes, do 2-3 tests, and present what I think is similar to what I've eaten.
I aim to represent all the countries on the continent, but I still need to get there. Mauritania, Egypt - I still need to prepare dishes from those countries. But I'm trying as hard as I can to represent the continent so that anyone can say, "Oh, I know this dish," or "Oh, I ate this on a trip." I aim to take people on a culinary journey around the continent without leaving their seats.
“For me, hospitality is how I make a customer feel after I've provided that service, a feeling, an emotion, that's what I'm looking for.”
ON AFRICAFE & HOSPITALITY
Any place can offer a professional service, but for me, hospitality means that you can provide a professional service done well for everyone, but that while you provide the service, you give your customer an emotional experience. The emotion you feel after receiving your order or eating your dish is what I'm looking for, and I want everyone who comes to Africafé to feel at home and have a sense of belonging or pride.
I try to be conscious in my approach to promote all of Africa. I'm fighting against classic stereotypes, which requires a change of mentality. I want to show that you can do things just as well, just as professionally, with international standards, but with our local products; that's why most of the ingredients I use are local: millet flour, bissap... Only a few elements are imported, for example, cream cheese.
“Travel brings me open-mindedness, discovery, seeing that there are other things… Travel is the greatest teacher you discover; it makes you open up.”
ON TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
My father was a diplomat, so we traveled a lot in Africa. I'm Malian; I grew up between Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, and Senegal... I studied in France for the last two years of high school; I spent five years in the United States, a year in London, and a few months in Rome; I lived in Abu Dhabi, in Cape Verde. I've never been to Nigeria, but I love Nigerian Nigoussi, which a friend taught me to make. I learned how to make Ugali and Sombé in Rwanda and had those dishes on Africafé's menu. My travel discoveries feed my project Africafé.
ON FAVORITE AFRICAN DISHES
My favorite dish is Widjilé, a dish from Mali, not from my region but from Tambouctou, Northern Mali. It's a fragrant spice sauce with cinnamon, cumin, a meat and tomato sauce, not too spicy. It's usually eaten with a loaf of steamed bread. The Foufou banana with palm oil also goes down well, as does Ndolé with manioc sticks!
The sweet part is my guilty pleasure; that's how I started in Abidjan; that's how people knew me at the beginning. I love homemade cakes that are not too sweet, especially the banana bread with millet flavor or the carrot cake with cashews.
Visit Africafé
Africafé Ivoire Trade Center, Cocody
Africafé Plateau (50m from the central pharmacy)
Abidjan
Monday-Friday 7.30 am-7pm/ Saturday 9am-7pm/ Sunday 10am-4pm
DJENEBA'S FAVORITE ADDRESSES IN ABIDJAN
LOCAL RESTAURANTS & MAQUIS IN ABIDJAN
In a great setting, Le Saakan in the Plateau district makes refined gastronomy with local ingredients. I'm really into Attieke-fish at Tantie Hélène or Miss Zaoui on Sundays. The Maquis du Val for Ivorian cuisine.
Le Mechoui, in Zone 4, an institution of Lebanese cuisine, is excellent. You always eat very well there; they are the best.
GO-TO IVORIAN FASHION BRANDS
In terms of Ivorian brands, Yalerri makes beautiful things. Ysand and Isabelle Ando, those brands do very nice things as well. I really like a relaxed, casual style. Those are part of my brand's references, also when I need to make a gift.
KIDS FRIENDLY PLACES & PLAYGROUNDS IN ABIDJAN
There are several play areas like the Dreamland, Youpiland parks—the karting of Abidjan or the Botanical garden for a natural space. I also like to bring them to the Club House in Vallon for an afternoon pool.
SENEGALESE BRANDS
I have quite a “Senegalese” style, I love Boubous, Kaftans, trucs qui tombent, so I really love Senegalese brands Neroli, Ynedi, LeBubu who makes superb boubous. I discovered a Nigerian brand I love, Dye Lab, which makes beautiful boubous.
BEST WEST AFRICAN HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
I always recommend Cabo Verde, especially Mindhelo in São Vicente. It is a small island and country, and I loved living there; it is a good place for relaxing and refreshing holidays. Mindhelo, the isle of Cesaria Evora, is so cute. Prahia, the capital of Santiago, has a lot of things to see, too, or Fogo, with the volcano. I love holidays next to the water, so those islands are perfect for this.
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