African food manufacturing is edging further into global value chains as Ghana’s Uniik Foods secures institutional backing from Mirepa Investment Advisors in a deal designed to accelerate production capacity and deepen export penetration into North America, Europe and diaspora markets.
The investment, channelled through the Mirepa Capital SME Fund I Limited, marks the first institutional injection into JNC Uniik Limited Company (Uniik Foods), a Ghanaian processor of shelf-stable African food products including palm nut paste, fufu mix and garden eggplant.
It comes at a time when Africa’s agro-processing sector is increasingly being repositioned as a driver of export diversification, with intra-African and diaspora food markets estimated to exceed $100 billion globally in annual demand, according to industry benchmarks tracking ethnic food consumption growth across OECD economies.
Scaling production capacity and export reach
Mirepa said the funding will be deployed into three core areas, modern automated processing equipment, expanded working capital for supply chain stability and scaled marketing and distribution networks across key international markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
The objective is to shift Uniik Foods from a mid-sized processor into a globally competitive African food brand capable of meeting rising demand for convenient, culturally authentic products in diaspora retail channels.
Philip Danquah, Chief Investment Officer at Mirepa Investment Advisors, said the transaction reflects a broader bet on African manufacturing capacity.
“Mirepa is proud to partner with a local team that has demonstrated the capability of building a scalable indigenous business, serving both local consumers and diaspora communities with products that resonate culturally,” he said. “This investment reinforces Mirepa’s commitment to backing high-growth SMEs, which drive local production for domestic and export markets.”
African food brands moving up the value chain
The deal underscores the gradual transition from raw commodity exports to branded, processed and shelf-stable goods aimed at higher-margin international markets.
While Africa accounts for roughly 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, its share of global food exports remains below 5%, largely due to constraints in processing, logistics and standards compliance. Investments such as this are increasingly seen as critical to closing that gap.
Uniik Foods, founded in 2013 and based in Accra, already exports to multiple global markets including the US, UK, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. Its product portfolio targets both diaspora consumers and mainstream retailers seeking ethnic and international food categories, one of the fastest-growing segments in global grocery retail.
According to the company, the capital injection will enable a significant upgrade in production infrastructure, including automation of key processing lines and expansion of packaging capacity, an essential step in meeting stringent export certification requirements in OECD markets.
Joseph Amankwah, CEO and Co-Founder of Uniik Foods, said the investment strengthens the company’s long-term export ambition.
“This partnership with Mirepa accelerates our ability to invest in modern infrastructure and expand our reach,” he said. “Our mission is to make authentic African food products readily accessible to our communities wherever they are.”
The transaction also highlights persistent financing gaps in Africa’s SME ecosystem. Across sub-Saharan Africa, SMEs account for an estimated 80% of employment, yet receive less than 20% of available credit, according to multilateral development estimates.
Private equity vehicles such as Mirepa Capital SME Fund I are increasingly stepping into this gap, deploying structured capital to mid-stage companies that have outgrown informal financing but remain underserved by commercial banking systems.
Ghana positioning itself as agro-processing hub
Ghana continues to position itself as a West African hub for value-added agro-processing, supported by policy frameworks aimed at import substitution and export expansion. The country’s processed food exports have grown steadily over the past decade, driven by rising diaspora demand and improved logistics access through regional trade corridors.
Uniik Foods’ expansion aligns with this trajectory, reflecting a broader push by African SMEs to capture higher-value segments of global food systems rather than remain confined to primary production.
The Mirepa–Uniik Foods deal is not just a capital transaction, it is a test case for whether African food manufacturers can scale beyond niche diaspora markets into mainstream global retail supply chains.
If successful, it signals a deeper shift underway in African entrepreneurship where local firms are no longer simply supplying raw materials, but actively building export-ready brands capable of competing on global shelves.
